Pretty In Pink
by DominoMags
Summary: Izuku was out buying comics after the Sports Festival. He wasn't expecting to run into a classmate, especially not her. What's more, he could never have seen himself falling for her.
1. There she is!

Izuku got along well with his fellow students. He was a good student, and he had a strong, if not unusual and masochistic quirk. He mostly stuck with his closest friends Iida and Uraraka, and perhaps Tsuyu after the villain attack. However, after the Sports festival, more people began to take notice of Izuku. He was probably a bit crazy to break his limbs like he did against Todoroki, and he certainly had room for improvement so that he didn't kill himself, but for an awkward nerd, he could show how strong, determined, and heroic he was. His classmates liked him well enough, but they really took notice after that.

Mina was one of these students. He was certainly cute. She remembered thinking his freckles were adorable while talking with the other girls in class, but nothing really came of it. She wouldn't say she had a crush on him at that point. He had his impressive moments, but his fight with Todoroki is where it all came to a head. He was an awkward, shy nerd, but he was kind of crazy to put himself through all that pain. More importantly though, he seemed to embody what being a hero was all about: helping others, at risk to himself, taking a stand, and inspiring people. He would no doubt make a great hero someday. Despite that, he wasn't cocky or arrogant, he was just this adorable nerd with fluffy hair and freckles. Mina didn't know why she had started thinking about him. She just did. It was kind of weird, but she didn't pay it any mind

Mina decided to walk around her old haunts as usual on the weekend after the Yuuei Sports festival. Here were so many places to check out. Who knew? She might bump into one of her friends, like Kirishima or Tooru. She bought a soda from a vending machine o the corner. She did end up seeing someone she knew, but not who she expected.

"Is that Midoriya? " she asked herself

It was him. Dressed in blue jeans and a grey hoodie, he had the unmistakable fluffy, green and black hair and those pinchable, freckly cheeks. He was walking into the bookstore across the street. She considered just walking away and letting him do whatever he planned on doing. But that wasn't her style.

"Yo! Midoriya-kun!" She shouted and waved at him.

She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how flustered and surprised he was. He certainly didn't expect her any more than she counted on running into him.

"H-hey, Ashido-san. What's up?"

"I was bored, so I decided to hit up some of my favorite spots this weekend. Never thought I would see you here. I'm kind of surprised." She said with a genuinely surprised smile.

"O-oh. Yeah. I came to get some comics and stuff. This is my favorite store, but it moved recently and I haven't had much time to go until now."

"You're such a nerd. But you're a cute nerd."

"T-thanks, I guess."

"No sweat."

Izuku blushed intensely. He didn't know where it was coming from, but at the same time, what little he knew of Mina was her outgoing and excitable personality. She was Izuku's opposite in pretty much every way. Her calling him cute made his insides feel like he had shoveled several hundred moths into his mouth and swallowed the, whole. It was a bizarre metaphor, but being around pretty girls made him feel that way, so it was apt.

"Mind if I tag along? I kind of wanted to pick some things up here as well."

It was ok if he said no. She didn't have a gun to his head, but she wanted to get to know this boy more. There was something about him that just caught her attention. Besides, there was nothing wrong with making friends with one of your classmates, especially when they demonstrated on several occasions just how great and pure a person they really were.

He nodded. He was used to either being on his own or hanging with his close friends, but truth be told, he liked the idea, even if it was just sort of sprung on him. He wasn't really used to this. He had been recovering from his injuries and now he was spending time with a girl he barely talked to. It was odd, but not entirely unwelcome. He might end up working with her, either in some sort of team building exercise or in the field when they became heroes. It wouldn't hurt to start building that professional relationship and becoming more familiar with more of his peers. Perhaps he was overthinking things though. Mina seemed to agree.

"Um... Dude? You're muttering."

He had a habit of thinking out loud to himself. It was kind of weird, but harmless. Regardless, he straightened up and apologized while blushing.

"S-sorry Ashido, san."

"Don't worry about it. Also, call me Mina. No need to be so formal, Midori."

"A-are you sure? I don't wish to be rude. Also, Midori?"

"Relax, man. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want you to call me that."

She slapped him on the back playfully.

"And yeah. Midori, as in Midoriya. It's cute, isn't it?"

"I guess so."

"I think it is. Shall we?" She said with a bow.

This elicited a genuine giggle from Izuku. This might turn out to be a good night. They entered the book store and walked towards the comics and manga. They had a good selection, Izuku had explained, so this was Izuku's favorite store. Mina smiled. He was such a dork, but when he got excited about something, it was endearing and she appreciated his energy when he opened up like that. She decided to take his hand and drag him to some books she thought he might enjoy, and some she enjoyed herself. She spotted some collectibles, including one of All Might, so naturally, she pointed them out to Izuku. He probably already had most of them, but she found them neat at least, even if she saw the guy often enough when he taught classes at Yuuei. She imitated the pose and tried doing All Might's voice. It wasn't exactly pitch perfect but it made Izuku laugh.

Izuku had learned some interesting things about his classmate. They both used the same brand of shampoo. She also collected manga and loved hip hop and electronic dance music.

"I took dance for a few years as a kid. I kind of knew I wanted to be a hero and do cool hero things, but I also love dancing, you know? I try to incorporate it into my moves."

Speaking of dancing, they had stumbled across an arcade while walking from the bookstore.

"Hey, Midori. Have you played DDR before?"

"I-I actually haven't played a lot of video games before. Also…. I…. I can't dance."

He certainly had moves on the battlefield, but Mina would see how well he could move on the dance floor for herself.

"Bummer. Oh well. There's a first time for everything. It'll be fun!"

He protested at first, but inevitably relented. It couldn't be that bad. He would try it out at least and see if he was wrong about both his skills at video games and his dancing ability. He was not. Mina snickered a little. Izuku couldn't help but fear he had made a fool of himself.

"Wow. You weren't kidding. Fear not, Midori-kun. Class is in session with Professor Ashido! Watch me."

He watched her intently as she put the coins in, and selected her song. It was Red Zone. He was in awe. He couldn't peel his eyes away. She had said she enjoyed dancing but it was another thing to see her in action. He mentally took notes, but filed them away under "Might be useful but likely useless as I would rather save myself further embarrassment. When she finished the song, she looked at her score. Number 2. Not bad. She was a little disappointed she wasn't in the top spot, but she got over it quickly.

"A-Ashido-san! That was amazing! You make it look so easy!"

"What can I say? Years of practice." She said with a bow.

"I can teach you if you would like."

Izuku gulped and nodded. Was this a date? No. They had never really interacted before this, outside of class, and even that was rare. Regardless, he was enjoying himself. She demonstrated the game with just a few mock steps, then played it again at a lower difficulty so he could observe again. After that, he was ready for another go. He placed at the bottom.

"Not too bad. You'll get there with practice, Midori." She said encouragingly.

"Thanks. "he nodded.

They moved about the arcade and played a few other games, Izuku being attracted to one.

"THEY HAVE THE ALL-MIGHT PINBALL MACHINE!"

All-Might was the number one hero. His name being attached to anything wasn't exactly a rarity. Still, Mina had found out that this table had been particularly rare and was one of the first few pieces of licensed items to be released towards the start of his career. It was also the first pinball machine Izuku had ever played.

"I haven't seen this in years!"

"Cool. I never actually cared for pinball. Not really my thing. I'll watch you play "

Izuku tried it out a few times. His first few runs at it were rather unspectacular. It was his 3rd playthrough of it that had both Izuku himself and Mina shocked. Once Izuku had gotten reacquainted with the machine, he dominated it with ease. It was like a reunion with an old friend, and they were still getting along well. Izuku got the top score, prompting a mutual cheer from both Yuuei students.

"That was awesome! Check you out, Pinball Wizard!" Mina high-fived Izuku and gave him a thumbs-up. After they had their fill of the arcade, it had started getting dark, so they decided to get some sodas before they took their trains home and parted ways. They made it to the train station and got on the train together. It looked like Mina's transfer was at Izuku's stop, so they decided they would sit and talk until they got there.

"That was…actually pretty fun. We should do this again some time."

Izuku agreed. It was totally random, out of nowhere, and he had started out a little uncomfortable, but this night had warmed him up. He needed this. There was something infectious about Mina's exuberance and her flirty, playful nature that was refreshing. She was like his opposite, sort of like Bakugou, but way cuter and nicer.

"H-hey. Ashido-sa…. I mean, Mina…why did you come up to me? N-not that I'm complaining. We just don't really talk all that much."

That was a fair point. She didn't really know that much about him other than what was readily apparent, like his awkwardness or his emotional outbursts, or what a nerd he was, or how he really did embody what it meant to be a hero, the more she gave it thought.

"I guess, I just felt like getting to know you. We never really interact that much, but you seem genuinely likable. I thought we should be friends. "

She stretched out with her hands behind her head, her fingers lightly playing with her fluffy pink hair. Truth be told, the acid-quirk user was attractive. She had this smell of strawberries and lilacs about her (probably her shampoo). She was wearing a black halter top under a purple jacket and short shorts, showing off her toned legs. Izuku was getting flustered by this, but he tried to calm down. She was a classmate asking to be friends. Nothing to get worked up over.

"I still can't believe we bumped into each other. What are the odds?"

"Y-yeah. Funny how things work out I guess."

"Hey, Midori?"

"Yeah, Ashido? I mean Mina. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You got it the second time." She grinned nonchalantly

"Thanks. Anyway, what did you want to ask."

"What's your number? We should keep in contact with one another. This night was way too fun to be a one-off thing."

Izuku blinked at first. Was this happening? Uraraka was a contact on his phone, as was his mom, but having contact with a girl was still such a rare thing for him and it was making his heart race a little.

"S-sure."

He recited his number to her and she plugged it into her phone.

"Got it! Thanks!" She smiled and gave a thumbs-up. " One more thing."

She gently took his phone and tapped on the screen before handing it back.

"Here you go. Now it's sealed, Midori. I hope to hear from you soon."

She winked at him and then left to get her train. Izuku was stunned. He had gotten a girl's number. Without even really trying. In his head, he was screaming incomprehensibly. Little did Izuku anticipate that this was just the beginning.


	2. It's a date!

The two Yuuei students were certainly different from one another and not the match one would expect. However, Izuku had no regrets about getting Mina's number. He found himself enjoying talking with her, getting to know her, and hearing some of her stories. He didn't expect to grow as close to her as he had, especially not as quickly as it had happened. He was still shy and flustered, but he had certainly relaxed a little and revealed more about himself, at least a little bit to her. There was just something warm about this girl that had let Izuku gradually let his guard down.

Likewise, Mina was growing to like her partner in curls. He was an adorable, quirky nerd and, while not as open as she was, she enjoyed talking to him. When she had found out about his run-in with the hero killer, and that he hadn't just texted her that night for the hell of it, she was nervous to say the least. Her friend had been in very real danger, as had Todoroki and Iida. The fact that they managed to survive against him was testament to how good they really were, but they could have died. The official word is that Endeavor stepped in. Little did she and the others know that Iida, Izuku, and Todoroki took Stain on by themselves. Regardless, they could have died. He could have died. It put things in perspective for the pink-skinned girl and, when she first saw him after that, she pounced on him.

"You gave me a scare, Midori! Seriously, how can you be such a timid, easily flustered nerd and one of the most impulsive people I know, dude?"

"S-sorry for causing you to worry. I'm fine though. Honest."

Mina hugged her friend, but separated when she realized she was hugging him a bit too tightly and that Iida and Ochako were concerned for their friend. In fact, a few other students had noticed what was going on, leading to Izuku nearly overheating. Mina herself blushed at this awkward scene and apologized.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're ok, Midori. I kind of wish I had joined in to help you. It's probably for the best I didn't though." She said while her eyes drifted upwards in thought.

"Thanks for the concern, Mina-san. Luckily the danger is over." Izuku laughed lightly.

He wasn't allowed

"Any time. I have something to take care of, but I'll be back.

Mina had started to develop feelings for Izuku. Getting to know him better and hearing about the danger he had gotten himself into to help friends had made her realize that. As fast as they had developed, her feelings were true. She had to be open with herself about that. However, as carefree and happy as she could be, she did still have concerns. She had a feeling Ochako liked Izuku as well. It wasn't a crime for two people to like the same person, but Ochako was a friend, and she couldn't just leap in and do that to her, even if Izuku was a total cutie and she wanted to ask him out on a date. With that in mind, she had decided she would talk to Ochako. She doubted the brunette would be forthcoming. Of course, she wouldn't, but it was still worth a shot. It felt crummy to Mina to make a move without considering another's feelings, not just as a future hero, but as a decent person.

Mina confronted Ochako when they were alone.

"Uraraka-san! Do you have a moment?" she said with a grin.

Ochako nodded. She got along well enough with Mina. They weren't super close, but since Class 1-A only had 6 girls, they all got along well. Honestly, Ochako was a bit surprised that Mina and Izuku had started hanging out more, but she didn't think much of it. She wasn't dating Izuku and he could have other female friends. She certainly didn't expect what was coming next.

"Do you have a crush on Izuku?'

Ochako became as flustered as her best friend and tried to diffuse the situation.

"W-why do you ask? Ochako blurted.

"Well, I kind of have one myself, truth be told. But I didn't want to make a move on him if it would make him or you uncomfortable, ya know?"

Ochako's heart dropped a little. Truth be told, she did like Izuku. She had known him a bit longer than Mina, having become good friends with him and Iida before Mina drifted in from the periphery. However, she wasn't dating him and she liked Mina well enough. She didn't want to get possessive. She really didn't like being jealous, though that didn't stop her from feeling that way, like she did about Mei. She honestly didn't know how to feel or what to say.

Mina might not have been the best student, but she could tell something was up with Ochako. She was observant enough about these things. As outgoing as she was, she wasn't going to just step on her friends' toes like that.

"I'll back off if you want me to. I just wanted to be honest with you."

"No…. It's fine. Mind if I have some time to think to myself, actually?"

"Sure. Go right ahead."

"Thanks."

Mina started to walk away, giving her friend some space, but not before the gravity-quirk user said one last thing.

"You seem to be getting along pretty well with him."

"Yeah, Midori's great. I'm glad we started talking."

Ochako smiled lightly. She was still conflicted. She still needed time to process things. And if Mina and Izuku became an item, she would have to be supportive of her friends, of course, but it would still take time to deal with. She wasn't ready just yet. That said, Mina was genuine and if her and Izuku got along, that was good enough. She sighed and closed her eyes, then gave a thumbs-up and a small smile.

"Do what you gotta do, Mina."

Mina took Ochako at her word. Even if her classmate needed some time and space to deal with her emotions, she was an understanding person. Plus, a date didn't necessarily mean anything. She would just ask the boy if he wanted to go on a date. Maybe go see a movie or get some food. She had so many ideas. Before all that though, she had to talk to him. She would wait until the end of the school day to ask him.

After classes, Izuku, Iida, and Ochako started walking towards the trains to go home and Mina followed behind.

"Hey, Midori."

"What's up, Ashido-san?"

"It's Mina, Midori!"

Sorry, Mina. What can I help you with?

"So…I was wondering, since we had fun the first time we bumped into each other, if you want to do it again." Mina grinned widely. Her energy was so infectious even Izuku smiled, albeit awkwardly. "Is Saturday at 5:00 good?"

"Hell yeah! It's a date!" she said with a wink. Izuku blushed

"A d-date?"

"Yep. Where should I meet you?

Izuku was shocked, not that he should have been. She gave him her number and they had been talking for a week or so. Still, he never expected to be asked on a date. It wasn't something he really thought that much about. He had been so focused on heroics that he didn't give it much thought. Now that he was thinking about it, it was kind of terrifying and exciting all at once.

"Um…I can text my address to you."

"Great! I can't wait, Midori!"

"You can call me Izuku. Since you want me to call you Mina."

Given how formal he was to most people, except his childhood friend/ bully, that was a big step.

"Nah. It's kind of a boring name. Midori is cuter…I got it!" she said touching her chin, and then snapping her fingers.

"I'll call you Izu."

Izuku almost stumbled from that, but Izu worked. He kind of liked it.

"That works. Ha-ha."

"Sweet! See you later Izu!" she said, blowing a kiss playfully.

Izuku had no idea what he had gotten himself caught up in, but he had to admit, he was kind of looking forward to it. He had never been on a date before and it was both scary and exciting. Honestly, he found it more nerve wracking than the life-threatening situations he had been in, but that's probably because he just threw himself in.

Saturday arrived before he knew it. Izuku had done his homework ahead of time so his schedule would be clear. He wasn't sure what to wear at first, but he settled on some cargo pants, a blue flannel shirt, and a white t-shirt featuring an American superhero team from one of his favorite comics: The Teen Titans. He decided to get a second opinion from his mother, who was in the kitchen making mochi.

"You look nice, sweetie. Going out to buy some comics? Or are you hanging out with your friends Tenya-san and Uraraka-san?" she asked while putting the mixture in the microwave.

"Not exactly, mom. I…um…have a date."

It was a good thing Inko had already put the bowl in the microwave, as she would have dropped it otherwise. She burst into tears of joy and hugged her son.

"My little Izuku has a date! He's growing up so fast."

"M-mom, you're crushing me!" he said, trying to escape his mother's vice grip of a hug.

"It will be fine. I'm a bit nervous, but it will be fun. I hope."

"I'm sure it will be fine, dear. Just let me know how it is and keep in touch."

Izuku nodded. "I promise."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Izuku went to go get it and, sure enough, it was Mina, dressed in a black crop top with "Acid queen" written in hot pink letters, a pink mini skirt, fishnets, and a leather jacket. She certainly loved her 80s flair.

"So where do you want to get some food, Izu?"

Izuku was normally just one to follow around and let her pick the place. He wasn't exactly confident in this field, especially given how awkward and inexperienced he was. However, in rare form, he had an idea.

"I know a place. I think you might like it. It seems like your style."

Mina raised an eyebrow to her date.

"Oh? I'm intrigued, Mr. Midoriya. Show me."

They ended up going to a restaurant Izuku knew of. He had never been there before, but he had passed by it a few times and Mina instantly liked it. It was this odd rock & roll/ sci-fi theme place that served Fusion cuisine, blending Japanese with American and British styles. It was called "Another Grill, Another Planet." It had a small record store attached too, and Mina nearly dragged Izuku in from how eager she was.

"How long have you known of this place? This looks so rad! I gotta tell Jirou about this!"

While the ear-jack quirk user wasn't an avid sci-fi fan, she was a rock music junky and this would be a cool place for the two friends to hang out sometimes, maybe for Jirou's birthday. For now, though, Mina was stoked.

Izuku and Mina walked in and were greeted by a young woman in her twenties with pink hair like Mina's, only dyed instead of natural. Also, she had three heterochromatic eyes: green, blue, and red. Her hair was cropped and she had several piercings.

"Hey folks. How can I help you?"

"T-table for two, please." Izuku stuttered.

"Sure thing. Follow me." Stated the woman as she guided them to a booth surrounded by rock and sci-fi memorabilia. There were various records and instruments, as well as some production stills from Aliens and a vintage Doctor Who poster. Mina loved science-fiction. It made sense, as they basically lived in a world of superpowered beings and she looked like an alien. That was probably why the Alien movies were some of her favorites, especially the first two.

"By the way, love your hair." Said the woman who had led the two teens to their table.

Mina smiled. "Thanks. It's all natural."

The young lady left and soon, their waiter came to the table. He was a bald man with blue skin and similar attire.

"Hey, kids. My name's Shinji. What can I get you today?"

Mina and Izuku looked at their menus. The selection was quite large and was laced with puns, eliciting several giggle-snorts from Mina and a couple from Izuku as well, such as London-Broil calling and Udon of the Dead. They were rather corny, if not creative, such as they didn't know where to start. Eventually, Izuku settled on a Salmon Bento and some Oolong tea and Mina got a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a cherry coke. They talked about classes and shared interests and had a few laughs.

"So, you have never seen the Alien movies? Not one of them? Mina asked in surprise?

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Not really. Aside from hero movies and some anime, I haven't watched a lot of sci-fi."

"We have to fix that one of these days. The Alien movies are where I got my initial hero name." she smiled before fading into a pout. "Until I had to change it because it was too weird or scary."

"I thought it was cool for what it's worth." Izuku said.

"Aww thanks, Izu. I appreciate that. I like it a lot better than Pinky." Mina smiled.

Izuku blushed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Any time. I like both names. Actually, the logo on your shirt would have been a cool hero name too."

Mina hadn't thought of that before. It was certainly better than Pinky, but a bit too derivative of her first idea. She wouldn't want to go all Bakugou about it and change just one word. Still, she did like it.

"Thanks. That would work. I think I might go with Alien Queen in the future if I change my hero name. It's not unheard of."

While most heroes stuck with their chosen names, Mina was correct. There were heroes who stated as sidekicks but graduated to new identities or even those of their pro partners.

"You know what, Izu? We should bounce ideas off each other sometime. You have some pretty awesome ones." She grinned, leaning across the table while eating her burger. It was messy and lacking in manners, but it was endearing to Izuku and captured his date's personality quite well.

"Yeah! We should. Actually…"

He said bashfully as he pulled out a notepad filled with scribbles and small diagrams. It was the travel-sized version of his hero notebooks. Mina was amused by this and wasn't going to let the cute nerd before her live it down.

"Really? You brought this on our date?" she said, feigning bemusement. "Do you bathe with your notebooks too?" she winked.

"N-no. Of course not. The paper would get wet." Izuku knew she was joking but he still responded in earnest. Mina couldn't help but laugh at what a freaking cutie he was. She was so charmed by this awkward nerd that she already couldn't wait for more, and their date had just begun.

"Relax. I'm kidding, Midori." She said in an almost singsong way as she took another bite of her burger.

"I know. I just didn't want to be rude." Izuku stated. Mina might have had the ability to melt objects with acid, but Izuku was melting her heart with his goofy geek charms. She pinched his cheeks.

"You're fo dom foot, I fwear."

Izuku turned as red as the ketchup next to Mina's dish.

"Please don't speak with your mouth full, Mina." Izuku said as he was accidentally hit by chewed up food fired by the mouth of a flirty pink girl with horns. She swallowed.

"Sorry, Izu. But yeah. You're a damn cutie and a smart guy. I'm glad we're doing this."

Izuku continued to blush. "T-thanks. Me too."

After chatting a bit longer, they finished their meal and split the bill. They then decided to check out the record store. It was larger than they thought, as it had multiple stories to it. It also had some comics, movies, and memorabilia. Mina bought a vintage t-shirt with Ripley from Aliens, while Izuku bought some superhero cartoon DVD's. When they were leaving, they were surprised to bump into the Space Hero, Thirteen.

"T-thirteen Sensei?" Izuku stuttered

"Ah, Midoriya. Ashido. Pleasant surprise. This is my favorite restaurant. I have been going here since they opened. I'm glad some of the students like this place too. The food is out of this world."

It was such a cheesy pun, but both teens laughed at it. Mina even did a double pistol-wink combo at her teacher, showing her approval for his space puns.

"What brings you two here?" he asked.

"W-well…" Izuku stuttered before Mina stepped in with her typical energy.

"We're on a date. It's going super well so far!"

Izuku nodded and laughed nervously. "W-what she said."

Thirteen looked surprised (as surprised as someone whose face was hidden by a helmet could look), but shrugged it off.

"That's good. Anyway, Take care, kids." Thirteen waved.

"Bye, sensei!" Izuku and Mina waved back.

After parting ways with the pro, Mina found a photo booth and, like a Great Dane puppy on a leash being held by a toddler, she dragged Izuku hard and fast in that direction.

"Let's get our picture taken!" She proclaimed excitedly.

Izuku wasn't exactly photogenic and was nervous to do so, but he just told himself only they would see it and that she seemed happy, so that was good enough, he supposed. He would have thought more, but he didn't have much room too before he and Mina her in the booth. Honestly, all the handholding they were doing was turning Izuku's freckled cheeks bright red. Mina, for her part, was blushing a light lilac color.

"I don't get much say in the matter, do I?" he questioned.

"Nope." She grinned.

She had a gorgeous smile, he thought.

They took several photos, all which looked super goofy and awkward, especially on Izuku's end, but halfway through, he started to loosen up and have fun, not that made him any more photogenic.

The pair then wandered to the nearest arcade. Sure enough, it was the same they had first gone to.

Once again, they made a beeline for DDR. Mina beat her high score, while Izuku did slightly better than last time.

"Nice job, my dear Midori, but you still need lessons" Mina said in a posh manner while presenting her hand with a bow. She was so much more outgoing than he was and he didn't expect himself to be so charmed by that, especially not so quickly. And yet he was having a genuinely good time.

Their next stop was a hero based fighting game. Izuku still wasn't an avid gamer, but he had played some before. Izuku picked All-Might, naturally, while Mina chose random, just to mix it up. She ended up with Eraserhead.

"Oh snap! Sensei Smash Bros.!" Mina laughed.

Izuku snickered at the reference.

They went a few rounds and it was an even match. Izuku secured the win though and found himself getting pumped.

"Holy crap! This is fun!"

"Looks like you found your calling, Izu. Pinball and fighting games." She said offering a handshake. He accepted but still couldn't get over all the hand touching. "This is awesome." He thought to himself.

After several more video games, winning Mina a plush toy from a prize machine, and getting some milkshakes at a place the Acid-quirk user frequented, it was soon time for them to head home and part ways.

"Man, Izu. That was one hell of a first date!" she sighed, hugging her new friend, a pink plush alien that she had named Ripley (It was that or Izuku's adorkable suggestion of AshiDos).

"Yeah. That…. was the most fun I think I have had in a while." He nodded.

Izuku was lost in thought. He was finding himself feeling emotions he had never really felt before. He had a bit of a crush on Ochako at one point, but he didn't feel this strongly. He was really enjoying going out with Mina.

"Everything ok?" she asked. He seemed distracted.

"Y-yeah. It's just…. We'll be busy this semester and we have a lot going on. And we both want to be heroes, so that will be a lot of work…"

Mina listened attentively, wondering where he was going with this and frowning a little, as she thought he didn't want to do this again. She was wrong.

"We should do this every weekend if we can. I mean, if you want to."

Her face lit up. He was a bit shocked, but she was really starting to fall for this goober. He was awkward, a little odd, and he had a habit of blowing his limbs off, but he was also sweet, smart, brave, and thoughtful. His looks weren't anything to write home about, and yet in a way, he was the cutest boy she ever met, just by personality alone.

"Hell yes, Izu! I'd love that." Her grin was like a highly contagious illness and he caught it instantly.

"G-great…... so, does that mean we're dating?"

"Well, aren't you eager." She grinned before her face took on a gentler expression. "I mean, if you want to. I don't want to rush you dude."

"It…It's fine. I… I had fun and would like to do this again." He smiled softly.

"Yippee!" she cheered before hugging him, catching him off guard. "

Izuku was a mess, but less of one than he expected. He had no idea what was in store, but he couldn't deny it. He was looking forward to it.


	3. The Way She Moves

Had you told a younger Izuku that he would get to train with All Might and attend UA, the most prestigious hero school on the face of the planet, he would not believe you. However, he would be screaming internally from how exciting the prospect is. Had you told that same boy that he would meet a girl there and end up dating her, not only would he not believe you about that either, but he would be freaking out and sweating nervously. That just so happened to be how he was reacting right now as he sprawled out on his bed looking at his phone. He had so many questions. How did he get to this point? What did she see in him? Why did he say yes? And why was he, despite his anxieties and fears, looking forward to another date already?

He hadn't expected any of this. He hadn't anticipated running into a classmate that day, let alone one he barely talked to. He certainly didn't expect to hang out with her more than once and spend time talking on the phone with her. And he certainly didn't imagine that he would have as much fun as he did in her company. She was certainly a fun girl to be around, even if her endless energy and bubbly, flirtatious nature could be overwhelming to the timid boy. Still, those were the very reasons he was drawn to her.

He looked at his phone and sighed. Mina had certainly caused his text messages to explode. He didn't even talk this much with Iida and Uraraka, and they were his best friends. He trusted them like his own family. More recently, Todoroki had entered the fold ever since their much talked-about fight at the Spirts Festival and his help in apprehending Stain, even if it was his dad who ended up taking the credit. Then again, it was a decision all three boys made when offered. They had technically broken the law and to get the credit would also be to put their heroic futures into question.

And Uraraka was one of the first friends he met at UA, during the entrance exam. She was upbeat, helpful, and cute. He almost expected to fall for her. And yet, she was nothing more than his best friend. He valued her greatly and worried how she must feel were she to know about him and Mina. Speaking of, he wasn't sure when and where their date would be.

"Hey when do you want to meet again? Also, where?"

"I'm helping my mom and dad set stuff u for some friends of theirs. I'll be free later though. How about 6 at the train station near my house? "

"That sounds good to me. I wanted to finish up some homework anyway."

"Shit. That. Yeah."

"You forgot to do it?""

"NO! I just…. didn't remember it."

Izuku decided to finish up his homework and help his mom around the house a bit before he took the train to meet the spunky pink girl who had used her endless energy to run through his mind nonstop. He shook his head. He certainly liked her, but he didn't want to rush things. They were dating, sure, but not long. He knew that certainly meant attraction on some level, at least if they were going on another date. Outside of that though, he had no idea. What little he knew of romance was from subplots in comics and cartoons, as well as hero movies. And even then, he was smart enough not to use old hero based cartoons for dating advice, though there was one he enjoyed from long ago that had some parallels with his situation, though he was far less angsty than the one male lead.

Mina showed up at the station, wearing a leopard print top, black shorts, and boots. She had a stick of pocky in her mouth as she sat on the bench, waiting for her date to show up. After she spotted him, she finished eating the pocky stick, she had kept the box in her purse. The reasons for this were threefold: to tease Izuku later, to have an excuse to kiss the boy, and in case they felt like a light snack.

"Midori! There you are!" she hopped up, smiling brightly as she waved at the green-haired boy to usher him over.

"H-hi, Mina. You look …you look very nice."

"Awwww. Thanks, Midori." She giggled and shuffled her feet while she looked away and blushed.

The green-haired boy's cheeks flushed red in turn. He cleared his throat and looked back at her. "Um…. did you eat?"

"Not yet." She sighed, her stomach rumbling as if to chime in.

"We could get something quick to eat. W-what are you feeling?"

The pink girl thought for a moment, then decided to let Izuku make the choice.

"I'll let you decide. I feel I've taken the reins too often. What are you feeling?"

Izuku wasn't really prepared for his own question to be turned on him like this, but he was appreciative. He did have an idea. "How about noodles? I'm kind of in the mood for them."

"Ya know what? Me too." She smiled as she bounced up and down on her heels before throwing a fist forward in excitement. "Onward, Midori!"

They stopped at a little ramen shop a block from the train station. It had a simple wooden sign that read "Soba Pop". It had a sort of kitschy retro vibe about it that instantly hooked Mina. Izuku was happy with his choice, as it was a simple date idea that both students could agree on, and his date was certainly ecstatic. He also, giggled slightly at the pun, though Mina appreciated it far more.

The two settled on some ramen. Izuku had green tea while Mina had a coffee. They talked in depth about their day so far and their home lives. Mina couldn't wait to go over to Izuku's house and bask in the glory of what an adorable dork he was. Plus it would give her more material for teasing him. She made sure to never go overboard with it, but it was her way of showing affection, ingrained in her from birth by her family.

After the two finished up their noodles and Izuku picked up the check (Mina objected, he insisted out of courtesy. Mina still covered tip.), Mina and Izuku stepped into the night air to decide their next move.

"So. what now?" the One-For-All inheritor asked his pink partner in crime.

"I have a totally awesome date idea, but I wanted to run it by you first before I take you."

Izuku had enjoyed Mina's company so far. He wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as he had. He really didn't expect any sort of compatibility, outside maybe using the same shampoo possibly. And yet they just seemed to click somehow.

"Are you sure? I mean, it might not be your thing. I really want to go, but not if I make you uncomfortable, dude. We could do something you like instead. I feel like I have called most of the shots. I don't want to be rude."

"I…. You have me slightly worried, but I doubt it's anything too scary." Izuku wanted to try to be more confident. If he was now dating a girl, he figured he would have to improve in that area. Naturally, he also extended this to heroics, and how heroes had to be ready for anything. He had faced the League of Villains and the Hero Killer. He was certain he could handle whatever Mina had planned for a date.

He was not prepared for this in the slightest, though given who he was with, he should have. Izuku wished he was as flexible as the girl dragging him by the arm, so that he could effortlessly remove his foot from his mouth. Izuku stared nervously at the neon sign of Bureiku Shichi, the dance club Mina had brought him to. Luckily, or possibly unluckily for Izuku, the club was an all ages venue, so the two students were able to enter easily were they to pay the cover charge.

"We can turn back. You seem uncertain." Mina might not have applied herself in classes. She was a bit of a slacker academically. Anyone could tell you that. And yet she could tell if something was up. She had the empathy and compassion one would look for when trying to define what makes a hero a hero. Izuku admired what he had seen of that and was almost tempted to take her up on it. However, he could not.

"I…. No turning back now. I said I would. If I can't stick by my mistakes, then what kind of hero would that make me?"

"Man, you are kind of obsessed."

"I…" He couldn't object to those claims. He had loved heroes from an early age, and All Might had been his absolute favorite. Getting to attend UA to become a hero, while being mentored by his idol was a dream come true. As such, Izuku, though not as mechanically steadfast as his friend Tenya, tried to apply heroic principals ever so subtly to his regular life. He had an off switch for it, but he still tended to rely on it as a default go-to.

"It's ok. It's kind of charming."

Izuku blushed and rubbed the back of his hair. He had to admit, even if it left him flustered, he liked the positive feedback. Even if it was just a simple compliment on his personality quirks.

"Now c'mon, Midori. Let's boogie!" she nearly yanks the green-haired boy off his feet as they rush towards the line and wait patiently. One would not expect someone to charge enthusiastically towards a line, but Mina would, especially to enter a dance club.

The man at the door, handing the money and keeping entrance neat and orderly, was tall and muscular, with the head of a bull. He snorted as he crossed his arms, coming across as imposing, when in truth, he was just doing his job of keeping a queue.

The two teens were allowed in by the bullheaded man as a world unfolded for them: a realm of loud, bumping beats and flashing lights, with a juice bar in the righthand corner closest to the entrance.

"Ready to dance, Izu?"

"I…I'm sorry. The music is too loud. Mind if I have a seat for a while…. I…. I need to adjust."

"Sure, thing buddy. I'm going to it the dance floor. Come find me when you're ready." The acid girl happily pranced towards the dance floor as Izuku headed to a nearby wall to plant himself there and gather his bearings. Hopefully, he could acclimate to his new surroundings and not be the stick in the mud that he feared he was being.

Izuku sat, panting awkwardly as he tried to regain his composure. He had never been much of a dancer. He was training to be a hero, so movement was important, but he had never really been drawn by dance moves. Plus, he was awkward in general, especially around girls, so going to a dance club with a girl was new to him. Being a wallflower, however, was more his speed. He watched her move gracefully. He was in awe at her naturally she moved. He knew she was energetic and athletic. He had seen her in class and during exercises. He had seen her at the Sports festival. He had been on dates with her before. However, something about the way she moved gave off sparks. He felt an electrifying sensation more potent than he one he felt when using Full Cowl. He had been growing to like her company. He had been drawn to her almost magnetically after that time at the bookstore. Now, however, he was hit suddenly and viciously. Izuku Midoriya was falling for this girl with the dark eyes and the brightest smile.

His eyes widened as she turned to him and walked in his direction. He had certainly thought she was a lovely person before, al around. In this environment, however, with the lights and the music and that warm, ecstatic glow emanating from her smile, he was doomed.

"Ready to dance now?" she offered a hand and smiled brightly.

Alien Queen would certainly have been a fitting name for her. Not because of her acid powers, but because of the other worldly spark he felt when taking her hand. Normally, he would be thinking of his future as a hero, possible moves and costume choices, though Mina had taken up a lot more space in his head lately. Right now, in this moment, she ruled his thoughts.

"Y-yeah." He stammered but smiled. She melted his inhibitions away without even using her quirk.

He took her hand and it was all over. He didn't want to et go. It was too soon to be feeling this way. He knew it. There were other things to be concerned with, like exams and preparations for summer. He couldn't dance to save his life and he was out of his element here. None of that mattered now, though. All that mattered were four things: The beat of the music, Mina and himself, and the beating of their hearts.

The night was just a blur of sweat and music and electricity. Izuku had hints of these feelings prior, but now they were solidified. They were new and flustering. He was altogether unfamiliar with all this, but as anxious as that made him, it also excited him.

"You ok, dude"

"Y-yeah. I…I had an amazing time."

"Really? I didn't think it would be your scene."

"It…it's growing on me."

"Is it now? Well, I don't want to rush you, so we can wait a while before we go to another club."

"T-thanks…I don't think I am ready just yet…but I did have more fun than I expected."

"Glad to hear. I should hope so." Mina teased, hand on her hip, once again feigning insult.

"So…what now?"

"I think it's late… shall we take the train?"

"Yeah. I'm a bit tired as well. I…. I can see you off at your stop…"

"Are you sure, dude? You don't have to."

"I…I insist." He smiled. He very well could have just parted ways with her there. He had only recently started talking to her and dating her. He didn't want to rush things. Besides, they could both use the sleep. Still, he wasn't ready to part ways with her just yet. He remembered someone in another class saying she kind of looked like a moth, and yet he was now pulled in by her radiance. He wasn't used to acting this sappy, even in his own head. However, she was having quite the impact on him. Were Izuku to possess the ability to read minds, he would find she felt the same way. He would also be a complete blushing mess when confronted with some of her thoughts.

"Man, you are such a goober." *she pecks his cheek. "But a sweet one."

They boarded the train and sat next to each other, Mina claiming the window seat, while Izuku took the aisle. They had both danced the night away, having a few waters now and then. As they rode towards Mina's stop, the two both reached for the middle arm rest, unintentionally touching hands as they did so. Mina's cheeks flushed violet, while Izuku's became a deep crimson. They met each other's gazes then turned their heads bashfully.

"So, guess we're doing this." Mina laughed softly.

"G-guess so…." Izuku matched.

"I'm ok with this though." her eyes sparkled.

She hadn't expected to be so fond of this by she had barely spoken to previously, and yet she had certainly admired him ever since his first fight with Bakugou during the heroes and villains exercise. And his resolve during the sports festival just cemented it. Finding out he came face to face with the hero killer and lived to tell the tale was even more spectacular. This shy, plain looking boy had certainly left his mark.

"Y-yeah. Me too." He could barely stand to look at her. He was overwhelmed. However, he didn't want to be rude. However, he was now trapped by her smile.

The train ride was mostly a blur, as Mina's head rested on Izuku's shoulder. The formerly quirkless boy shook a little at this contact, prompting his companion to groan for him to stop. He managed to contain himself long enough to rest his head on hers, albeit slowly and sheepishly. He closed his eyes and nodded off, not waking up until they had arrived at her stop. He shook her shoulder gently.

"M-mina. Wake up. We're here."

"Mmmm" She groaned and slowly lifted her head up his shoulder. The sleepy look in her eye gave the boy butterflies. She looked so peaceful and blissful. "Five more minutes."

"N-n-no. We have to get going before the train leaves again."

"Fair enough." She sighed. They weren't even officially a couple, and this was only their second official date, though that first night with the book store totally counted in Mina's mind. She knew things were probably moving too fast, but she was having such a blast. She didn't want things to end. She just told herself they were only getting started though.

"We…. we should do this again some time."

"Well duh, Midori. We're dating. I should hope we do this again, you doofus." She flicked his nose playfully. She held his hand and stared into his eyes and he into hers. "Well…. good night."

With that, she left pecked him on the lips and left, turning around rapidly to hide her blush as she skipped off, newly invigorated by her recent actions. Izuku was only brought back to his senses by the station attendant announcing that his train home was leaving in five minutes.


	4. Izuku Midoriya of Sector 2814

Classes resumed as usual, with Izuku preparing for the finals to the best of his ability. Having the fourth highest score on the midterms, that wouldn't be much of an issue. Mina, however, was towards the bottom, only being above Kaminari. She laughed it off, as if it was no big deal. Deep down, the girl was concerned, but she just figured she could wing it. She was the kind of girl to fly by the seat of her pants. Her blonde friend seemed far more panicked over his poor grades.

However, Izuku still offered support to the pink girl and electric boy. He would have done that anyway, generally having compassion for others. However, the girl he had been dating since after the sports festival was someone he wanted to encourage especially. He had grown to enjoy her company in the short time they had been talking and he didn't want her to fail. She was here to be a hero, same as everyone else in their class. She was sweet, funny, energetic, and incredibly cute. Izuku was very proud of himself for not visibly freaking out at these thoughts. However, he was screaming internally

Izuku's mind drifted to a conversation he had with his mentor about the league of villains and the Hero Killer, Stain. Izuku's life had been one of helplessness and victimhood, being treated like a pebble. Like less than nothing. And now, he was a hero in training. He held the power of the greatest hero in the world, his idol and mentor. He had friends. He was dating a girl. He had also faced villains, broken his body several times, gone toe to toe with the hero killer, and now he was destined to fight and defeat the single most evil man on the face of the planet. He had a lot riding on him now. A lot going for him and things going against him as well, yet through it all, he would give it his best.

"Midori? Hey, Midori!"

Izuku was snapped out of his thoughts by a pink finger gently flicking his nose

"Yaomomo is offering to help tutor us. Isn't that great? I mean, I know you are really smart and one of the top students, but this is still awesome!"

"Yeah! It is! It's really nice of Yaoyorozu to offer that. She's a good person. She'll be a great hero one day."

"Oh? Are you crushing on her?"

"W-what? No!"

"Pffft. Just kidding with you, man. You're too easy. Wanna come walk with me?"

Izuku turned to look for Uraraka but she had left while Mina and Izuku were speaking. She didn't know why. She just felled compelled to leave, due to a slight but sharp pain in her chest.

"By the way, your new move looks really cool. Did you learn that on your internship?" she tilted her head inquisitively.

"Yeah. I'm hoping it helps me get a better grip of my quirk."

"So, you don't blow your limbs off, right? You're like a glass cannon, dude. But anyway, you were flying around, moving like Bakugou almost. He looked pissed. I mean, more than usual."

"Y-yeah…I can't imagine Kacchan was appreciative of that."

"So, who did you intern with?"

"An older hero…. He used to teach classes at UA" Izuku couldn't give too many details, but he was sure some info was safe. It's not like it was unknown that All Might used to go to UA. That was part of the school's legacy after all.

"Oh. An old guy? I would ask if you got to fight villains in between playing Hanafuda with him but…" she paused, thinking back to his encounter with stain. He very well could have died, and she just thought he was sending his location just so they could meet up, or that he was being silly. She felt ashamed for how unhelpful she was. Then again, she also reminded herself that she had internship duties to perform with the pH Hero, Alkaline. She was on patrol with the lesser known pro, rounding up some gang members and helping free hostages. "Anyway, Alkaline was pretty cool." She decided to change the subject before making things too awkward.

"What? Oh…" Izuku scratched his head. The two of them had only recently started dating. They weren't exactly an item just yet, but he certainly had grown fonder of her. Likewise, she was growing rather attached to this broccoli-headed dork. In fact, she had fallen for him pretty hard. But even an outgoing girl like her was too awkward and nervous to just spout that out, especially during this line of conversation. She had to think of something else. It was then that she remembered her pocky that she still had in her bag: strawberry flavor. A smile crept across her face.

The two students sat on a bench at a nearby park near the train station. They had departed the train, still in their school uniforms, deciding to just spend some time together right away, upon suggestion from Mina. "So, do you know how to play?" she teased.

"A-Ashido, I haven't done any of these kinds of things. I hadn't even been on a d-date until you. "

"Fair enough. Anyway, the rule is simple." Mina took out a stick of pocky and smiled as she held it up, in demonstration. "I put it in my mouth and you take the other end in yours, aaaand we get close as possible. Whoever pulls away, loses. Sound fair?" the pink girl smirked, with a playful tone of voice.

Izuku was an utter blushing mess. He was surprised his eyes didn't pop out of his skull and roll away. Before he could respond coherently, Mina cheerfully broke the silence.

"Great. Let's get started!" She popped the pocky stick in her mouth and closed her eyes, being careful not to bite down on it just yet.

Izuku just stared blankly, screaming internally as he saw the girl before him essentially asking him to kiss her. No "You're cute." No romantic music. Just right out of the gate, "Let's play this game where we eat cookies and kiss." He should have expected this from Mina. And yet, he was utterly surprised. He sat there watching her. She was probably getting impatient. He didn't want to leave her hanging. It would be rude of him, especially after they started dating. Plus, her lips looked so soft and inviting. The way the pocky hung out of her mouth was so alluring, like it was the tastiest snack Izuku had ever seen. His palms were sweating.

His face was beet red and his heart was banging its way out of his chest. He tried to get the thoughts out of his head, but he really wanted to kiss her. After getting to know her a little better and having so much fun with her, he really wanted to feel her lips against his. To taste them. The thought was making his face heat up.

This freaked him out. He could feel his body heat up to the point he thought steam would bellow from his nostrils. He just needed to say no. She would understand, right? She seemed like an understanding girl. However, he really didn't want to be rude to her. He didn't want to leave her hanging, feeling like a fool for assuming the boy she was dating to want to kiss her. It just wouldn't be fair to her.

He exhaled and bit down gently on the other end, eliciting a gentle smile from the acid girl. Izuku closed his eyes as he took a bite, keeping one eye open as he slowly bit towards Mina. He could almost taste her lips, juicy and inviting, her breath like a warm, inviting breeze. His eyes, shot open and he found himself incredibly close to her lips as she hummed a happy tune to herself. She was beautiful. She was close. She was getting further away. He felt the pavement on his back as the sky filled his view and pocky filled his throat.

Mina would have celebrated her victory had she not been immediately more concerned by the boy before her, choking on pocky.

"Midori! Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I-I'm fine. Sorry."

"Dude, you choked on pocky and fell on the ground. What are you apologizing for?

"I…I choked."

"Well, yeah, dude. I can see that. Hey. We don't have to"

"No…I mean…"

And with that he moved in and gives her a peck on the lips while blushing intensely.

"I choked."

It was Mina's turn to blush, a bright lilac filling her cheeks as she stared wide-eyed at the green-haired boy.

"Um…Wanna play again?" Mina choked out.

"Yeah…I'd like that." Izuku nodded, red faced, yet willing.

They sat on the bench again, Mina taking out another stick of pocky. Mina repeats her actions from before, this time maintaining eye contact, with Izuku doing the same. Their eyes fluttered shut the closer they get. Their hearts were racing. Both could feel their temperatures rising. Finally, all they feel is each other's lips and a jolt passing through both. They might have had their first kiss a few moments before, but this would be the one they remembered the most.

The two students walked hand in hand, past several shops in the district. Café Mandalea, Starbug, Fukai 13, Borg music, Naboo's magic shop. Those were just a few of the stores that popped out at them as they walked hand in hand. Mina joked about getting matching tattoos at a place called Infinity Ink, but as Izuku pointed out, it wasn't a good idea, so they just opted for a game shop they came across. It was filled with toys, games, and novelties of all sorts. Mina was immediately drawn to the more bizarre games and toys, perhaps due in no small part to her own appearance. Granted, in this world, there were a variety of appearances, from multiple limbs to animal heads. However, she still wasn't exactly what one would call normal.

It was probably why she loved science fiction so much. She loved bizarre worlds and creatures and could relate to them in a way. She was rather spooked by haunted houses and ghost stories. She had cried during villain attacks. And yet, she still loved the first two Alien movies and films like John Carpenter's the Thing (Although that movie did lead to her testing everyone and everything to make sure it was safe when she was younger. Her parents loved telling those stories as much as they did ones about her bumping into lamps while running around, like a little moth girl).

She poured over several games and toys, several of which involved aliens or monsters. This shop was made for her. She even found a breakdancing toy. She would have to come back here again on another day, as she wanted to conserve her resources.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted it. On the highest shelf in the far right corner was a vintage All Might game. She was surprised Izuku hadn't seen it, but he was mostly scanning some of the action figures.

"Hey! Midori! Over here!" The pink girl tugged on his shirt sleeve enthusiastically. "Look what I found, dude!"

Izuku's eyes sparkled in astonishment. He didn't have that game, and he was surprised he was able to find one that wasn't online that he could possibly ever afford on his own. He surely wouldn't be able to afford this one here, he thought, but still, it was incredible to find such a rare item in this little game shop. He stared longingly at the object, wanting it for his collection.

"ahem. Should I be jealous?" Mina teased. She was amused by what an utter fanboy this kid was. That was part of his charm, she supposed. He was strong, brave, and altruistic to a fault. He was one of the purest guys she had ever met, and she just found him incredibly sweet.

"O-oh. Um. No…I..." Izuku stammered, looking back at Mina and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Excuse me, shop keep?"

The store clerk, an older gentleman with a beard and a bandana looked at her. He stroked his chin and looked at the young lady.

"What can I do for you, missy?" He asked, getting a good look at her.

"How much is that All Might game up there? In the corner, on the top shelf?"

"Oh, that one? It's 30,000 Yen." He spoke in a gravelly voice, the years piled on like a stack of rustic magazines.

"30,000 yen, huh?" Mina looked shocked, but she should have expected as such. She looked in her wallet, figuring that might be more than she had on her. She had wanted to do some shopping for herself, but this would take a good chunk of the money she had on her. She supposed she would still have some left over to buy some food.

"A-ashido? What are you doing?"

"It's Mina, you dork. And I'm buying you this game. Because you want it and you're cute."

"You really don't have to."

"Since when did having to do things stop you, dude? I want to do something nice."

"I mean…. it's amazing and rare and…I expected it to be a lot more expensive, but that's still steep. You really don't have to. What if you see something you want for yourself."

"Then I guess you'll owe me." Mina smirked.

"Mina." He spoke up.

"That's my name~." She smiled wider, frowning again as she looked at her wallet."

"Ahem. Sorry to break up the discussion, but are you kids from UA?" the store's proprietor spoke up, taking note of the kids' appearances.

Izuku was the first to speak up. He wasn't quite used to this level of celebrity, but he was growing more used to it. "Y-yes, sir."

"Aaaaah. So, you were that young man who fought Endeavor's son in the finals at the Sport's festival. It was almost like watching two juggernauts do battle. You're crazy, kid. But you put on quite a show. For you, I'll let that old game go for 15,000 yen. Is that fair?" He grinned, stroking his beard.

It was still pricy, being roughly $370, but Izuku was able to afford it, especially after Mina insisted on paying for half of it. Still having money to spare for the rest of their date, the two purchased the game and left, waving at the shop keep. However, he stopped them before they made it through the door.

"Not just yet, kids. I lowered the price. Now I want you to do something for me." He grinned.

The two curly haired teens looked at each other with concern and confusion until the old ban went into the back and pulled out a digital camera. He set it on the counter, facing the kids. "It's not often I get celebrities in this little store of mine. Mind if I get a picture with you two whippersnappers?" he smiled, taking off his bandana to reveal messy gray hair.

Mina and Izuku looked at each other. It was a bit of a peculiar request, but they had been recognized before and stopped by people. Besides, he gave them half price on a rare item. It's the least they could do. The two posed and smiled, the old man waddling briskly towards the middle, pressing the timer on the camera and turning around just in time for the flash to go off. He had set it to take three photos rapid-fire, so there would hopefully be at least one serviceable image. After checking the camera to see how the photos turned out, he nodded sagely.

"Very well. That one turned out quite nicely. Thanks, kids. You can get going now." He said with a playful "shoo" motion. As they left, he went into the back room with the camera and looked with pride at the walls. There were several photos of past customers, all of which were now pros. He looked at the young pair in the photo with him and smiled. "Another bit of history for these old eyes."

After Izuku and Mina left the game shop, they decided to check out some of the other stores, including the ones they had passed. There was a lot to do in this area and the two certainly wouldn't be bored, especially given their present company. Mina set an alarm on her phone for when she thought the date might end, but would adjust accordingly. Hitting snooze on an alarm was nothing new to her.

"Not sure when this date will end, but I figured probably later, so I set an alarm."

"Huh…that's odd, but kind of smart. Um…"

"Thanks! This way we can hit all the shops and see what's inside! Shall we?"

Izuku nodded. Previously, he probably would have been dragged around, but now, he was more willing to just go with the flow, even if it was just a few dates in. "Sure. Which one first? I'm fine with whatever you choose."

"Hmmm" Mina pondered before snapping her fingers excitedly. "Let's go into Fukai 13. I wanna look at bathing suits."

Izuku was about to suggest dinner, but he was stuffed already from eating his words as Mina dragged him into the swimwear store to try on bathing suits. Still, he thought he thought they could check out that café nearby. That might be nice. AT least that's what he thought to distract himself from the flustering thoughts of seeing Mina's body on display for him. He bit his lip and chased the thoughts off as best he could.

The store was playing a song Izuku would later be told was a classical arrangement known as Sandstorm by the composer Darude. Fukai seemed to cater not just to swimwear, but clothes for other outdoor activities, like rock climbing. However, swimwear was their hottest item and the one they had the widest variety of. He even saw wetsuits for surfing and scuba diving. It was certainly an interesting store. Once again, Mina snapped him to attention as he looked in her direction.

"I made some selections. Let me know what you think, K?" She smiled before vanishing swiftly into the changing room to try some on. Izuku was shaking. This was both the best and worst day of his life. He calmed himself down and looked around, hoping he could find something himself. He could use a new pair of swimming trunks. He supposed. This would be a good place to look. Izuku found a rack of swim drunks that caught his eye.

Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any All-Might related ones, at least not ones he didn't already own. He did find some green ones with stripes down the side that reminded him a bit of his hero costume. He supposed it would be fitting in a way to have more clothes based on his own costume, rather than just All Might. He picked out a pair and some sunglasses he found on a nearby rack. He figured he might as well buy them but that trying them on would be wise to do.

"Right as he was about to change, Mina came out in a bathing suit that matched her hero costume as well. Of course, it was a bikini. He was a fool to think otherwise. He nearly dropped the items he was holding as he turned bright red.

"Well? What do ya think?" she beamed, doing a twirl for Izuku. He felt like he would have to lie down after this.

"Oh, are you looking to get a bathing suit too?" she leaned in with a raised eyebrow, her finger and thumb on her chin, and a smirk on her face. "I suppose it's only fair I see how it looks on you." She winked.

Izuku relented quite easily. He did want to see how it looked, and even if she seemed to get enjoyment out of seeing him turn into a human thermometer, he did appreciate another set of eyes to let him know how it looked. He picked up the items he was trying on and entered the men's changing rooms to get dressed.

He shut the door and changed into the swim trunks, deciding to keep his shirt on for the time being. He was anxious enough to see Mina in a bikini. Having her see him without a shirt was making his face redder. He was arguing with himself mentally, telling himself that it leveled the playing field more and that it should alleviate any awkwardness. His brain merely responded with screaming. It had put forth a convincing argument, which lead to the boy shaking like a leaf as he felt steam pour from his nostrils.

As he stepped out, Mina had changed into another swimsuit. Thankfully for Izuku's nerves, this one was a more modest one-piece, though he still blushed at how well it fit her form. He shook the thoughts from his head. It was baby blue, which looked rather nice on the pink girl. Blue seemed to suit her well. Izuku would have to take note of that for the future if he could stop blushing and stuttering.

Mina pouted as she inspected her date. "Bummer. Was hoping I could get a peek. Oh well. Another day." She sighed. A smile crept across her face as she examined the swimsuit. "Glad we both had the same idea though. Bathing suits based on our hero costumes. Cool, huh?" He enthusiasm was endearing, even if it could also be overwhelming for the comparatively timider Izuku. "What do you think of mine?" She did another twirl, awaiting his review.

"You… It looks amazing on you!" he blurted out, blushing harder at his own words. He swore he could feel himself trembling. Maybe swimming would be a great idea as soon as possible, as he could feel himself heating up a bit.

Mina blushed lightly and offered a sweet smile. "You think so? "Izuku nodded, prompting her to jump at him with a friendly hug. The proximity of their cheeks was not doing the green-haired boy any favors, as he felt himself overheating a little more. He was grateful when she let him go, but also, oddly disappointed it didn't last longer. These were feelings he was not too familiar with and he would have to deal with those later.

"Awesome! I got what I wanted. Shall we change back and pay for our stuff?" the horned girl beamed with radiant excitement, infecting the boy with her exuberance as he smiled and nodded.

The rest of the date went by like a flash. It almost seemed like a film strip, each moment captured vividly yet swiftly in both kids' minds. At the end, they were sitting in the train back home, with Izuku's stop being first. Mina held a bag of candy in her lap as she smiled, holding Izuku's hand as their transportation zoomed them towards home.

"I had a great day, Midori. We probably could have both went home first to change, but I am kind of glad we just jumped right into things after school. "Mina cheered as her cheeks flushed with lilac. It truly was great. Momo would be tutoring her for the finals. Izuku and her went on a fun date. They had decided to get burgers at this American-style Diner the boy picked out due to its collection of All Might paraphernalia, and she got some cute clothes. Only one thing could make this night any better.

"Hey Midori?" she asked, feeling a lump in her throat. She was blushing, but she could do it. She was an Ashido. She would take life by the horns before it grabbed hers first.

"…I-izuku…. You can call me Izuku" he stuttered out, staring at his shoes as his face turned red." He had managed with some effort to be more casual, but after a few dates and a first kiss, he felt he might as well try.

"Mina pondered his words and smiled. "Hmmm…How bout Izu? That's cuter and less plain sounding!" she chirped. The freckled boy blushed deeper and hung his head, eliciting concern from the acid-quirk user.

"Don't like it? I could keep calling you Midori if you prefer." She offered.

"N-no…it's just…" he sighed and muttered. "My mom calls me that…"

Mina looked at the boy for a few seconds, registering the boys muttered words before a smile crept across her face. "Awwww, That's adorable. You must be close to your mom."

"Yeah…she raised me alone, pretty much…" And that dampened the mood a bit. Here she was, ready to ask him to be her boyfriend and he sprang that on her. Before she could pursue that line of questioning any further, Izuku spoke up. "Anyway…. Thanks, A…Thank you, Mina. I had a really fun time…Um…. We…. we…. WE SHOULD DO THIS REGULARLY!" After he blurted those words out, all eyes were on him, giving him the added quirk of shrinking into his seat in the fetal position, and Mina the ability to turn almost entirely lilac, both from blushing and from laughing at how adorable this green-haired goober was. That clinched it.

"Izu…. give me your hand, please. This is important." She spoke softly. He had clinched his eyes shut, but her voice soothed him and brought his attention to her and her beautiful black eyes,

Mina took a ring pop from her bag. It was watermelon flavor. She took it from the package and slid the confectionary onto the green-haired boy's scarred hand. "Izuku Midoriya of sector 2814. You are a total dork and a cutie patootie. Welcome to the Boyfriend corps." Izuku blushed intensely, but couldn't help but offer a genuine laugh, one that sounded like a chorus of adorably awkward angels to Mina's ears. The two kissed and with that, their relationship was cemented by a piece of candy. They smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes before sharing a tender kiss.

They started dating as classmates. Now they had found kindred spirits and were united by snack food, bound by geekdom, and destined for greatness.


	5. This Date is Beachin'

Izuku was new to this. He had started to wonder if he had moved too fast. He and Mina shouldn't have been much of a match. And yet, he felt at peace around her. She had an infectious personality that, when she wasn't going out of her way to fluster Izuku, could tear his guard down and let him. The two of them had decided to go to the beach, specifically one that had great significance to Izuku.

"T-this is Dagobah Municipal Beach!" Izuku shouted in astonishment. He certainly didn't expect to come back here on a date, though he was quite happy. It was nice to see the fruit of his labor and training pay off.

"Yep! I remember seeing something about it getting cleaned up, so I wanted to check it out. Did you know about it?" she asked.

The two of them went for a swim. Izuku was shaking and blushing. Seeing a girl his age in a swimsuit was new to him, let alone being in a relationship with one. And yet, here he was, at the beach his hero training started at. He had done a great public service with this beach clean-up, and now he was on a date here.

"I trained here with All Might." Izuku admitted fondly, not realizing until later that he had taken a step towards admitting his secrets. He turned pale when this dawned on him. Mina noticed and was confused.

"Really? That's awesome! When did this ha…. Izuku, are you ok?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry."

"Oooookay. So, what's the story with this place and All-Might?"

Izuku looked back out to the sea as he started his story, shifting his focus to Mina halfway through. He gazed into her eyes intently as he regaled her with his tale. He had a hard time doing so, as he wasn't being completely honest with her, but he was telling as much as he could without breaking his promise to All-Might.

"H-he took notice of me. I had thought myself quirkless. I wanted to be a hero so bad. I took notes. I studied heroes. I hoped one day to become one, even when it looked like I would never get a quirk. All-Might saved me from the monster that attacked Kacchan. I asked him later if I could be a hero, even as I was. He…. told me I couldn't. It left me dejected…. But that same villain that attacked me went for Kacchan…. even if he had picked on me. Even if he called me worthless…. I couldn't just leave someone like that. So, I ran…. And that's the day my quirk kicked in. I…I'm a bit of a late bloomer, but I impressed All-Might enough that he took me under his wing and we cleaned up the beach. He wanted to help me get into Yuuei after that, so….um…. here I am."

"Wow! That's a mouthful. Well, thanks for opening up to me about that, Midori. I appreciate it." Mina nodded curtly and smiled. She hugged her boyfriend and played with his hair. She couldn't help it. He was cute and his hair was as fluffy as hers.

Izuku felt guilty. He was lying to his girlfriend. Technically, everything he said was true. He just omitted some key details. However, he promised All Might not to reveal those secrets to anyone. He was worried this counted, but He didn't really reveal the secret of One-For-All, or that he was really born quirkless, or what All Might's true form looked like, or any of that. Izuku made a mental note to talk to his mentor about letting Mina in. He felt bad enough about not letting his mom or friends in on the truth. Lying to his girlfriend felt worse somehow. Mina placed her hand on his.

"thank you for telling me this. That's pretty cool. Having a pro take interest in you from the get go like that. I'm kind of jealous. Of that anyway. I'm sorry you lived most of your life feeling powerless. Still, you did it."

"Yeah. I got into Yuuei." Izuku smiled.

"Not that, silly. You proved yourself a hero. You ran in to save someone, you cleaned up a beach on your own, and what you did at the Sport's festival…. Man, you really are going to make one hell of a hero." Mina admitted happily. She had grown to admire this young man a lot, in such a short amount of time.

"T-thanks." Said a very flattered Izuku.

"Any time. I am happy you got into Yuuei though. I doubt I would have met you otherwise."

Izuku's face was flush as he looked at her. He was touched by those words and tears nearly welled up in his eyes, but he shook them off.

"Are you crying, Izu-kun?" Mina looked concerned and a little confused. This boy was a real softy for someone who could level a building and his own body at the same time.

"No…. it's just, that means a lot. Thanks again, Mina-kun."

"Any time." She flashed a grin and booped the green-haired boys nose.

Izuku and Mina found themselves getting closer until their lips touched. They pulled away after a few minutes, feeling exhilarated by the moment they just shared before going in again. Mina rested her head on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku pulled something out of his pocket.

"Um…. I worried I was going too fast, but since you gave me one…." Izuku pulled out a pink ring pop and unwrapped it, slipping it on Mina's finger. "W-we're even now."

"Why are you, like, the cutest dork I have ever met?" Mina ruffled Izuku's hair and laughed. She just wanted to squish his freckled cheeks and cover them in smooches. Perhaps she would do that later, when she was positive it wouldn't stop the boy's heart.

"I-I don't know. I don't think I'm that cute." He bowed his head bashfully, heat emanating from his face. He was certainly flattered, but this sort of attention was new to him.

"Well, you're wrong dude." She took his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for welcoming me into the girlfriend corps, Izu-kun."

"That's…. pretty new." Izuku paused, letting his new nickname sink in. She had used it before, and it caused him to blush.

"Not a fan?" Mina asked, wondering if she was causing him too much anxiety.

Izuku shook his head. "No…I like it. Thanks." He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and her head rested upon his shoulder once more. They stared out at the ocean and watched the sun set into the horizon.

After night fell, the two decided to change back into regular clothes and get some food. Mina changed into short jean shorts, pink hi-tops, and a black tank-top with her hero name on it. Izuku wore the clothes he had worn when he first started cleaning up the beach as part of his training, including his one All-Might shirt. There was a little eatery nearby that caught Mina's attention and Izuku offered to pay.

"Are you sure? You don't have to be a gentleman about it. We can split the bill." Mina insisted. She knew neither of them were made of money and, if anything, her family could afford more than Izuku's. He persisted however.

"I-it's ok. I insist. I want to do something nice for you." Izuku managed to be both shaky, ye firm. Min was impressed.

"You already did. We went swimming and you gave me a pink ring pop. Not the most elaborate of gestures, but it's enough for me." The acid girl assured her boyfriend that he didn't need to go above and beyond. His company was enough.

Izuku understood this. However, he made his mind up. "Consider this this the soybeans on the rice." He smiled. Mina appreciated the reference to one of her favorite foods. Somebody had been paying attention.

"Well, dang. You convinced me, Izu. But I owe you." Mina sighed, then elbowed Izuku before heading inside.

Izuku didn't like to think in terms of anyone owing him anything. That wasn't how he operated. Still, he agreed. "Deal." He nodded and headed in after her.

The two of them sat at a booth and waited to be served. The waiter was a short man with male pattern baldness and a mustache that was tapered at the ends ever so slightly. He also seemed to have a bit of an accent.

"Welcome, mes invites. My name is Maku. How can I help you today?" he bowed curtly.

After looking at the menu, Mina had an idea. She thought it might be interesting, so she ran it by Izuku.

"Hey, Izu. I have an idea. Remember how we talked on that first night about favorite foods and stuff like that?"

"Yeah. How could I forget." Izuku reminisced. It was certainly new and bizarre, but he had only fond memories of that night, even if he was out of his element.

"Follow my lead." Mina winked confidently at Izuku, excited to try out her plan. If worse came to worse, they could just switch, but she thought it would be fun and help them grow closer, even if they were already on that path to begin with.

"O-ok." Izuku was only half-sure he knew where this was going, so he complied and hoped it wasn't anything too out there.

"Katsudon for me." Mina chirped while placing her menu down.

"O-okra and Natto, please." Izuku followed suit awkwardly.

"And we'll both have sakura tea." Mina chimed back in.

The stout waiter bowed and went to get their meals. Izuku and Mina looked across the table at each other.

"Y-you practically ordered for us both." Izuku laughed softly.

"It's only fair. You pay, I choose. We both get a say." Mina shrugged, with her usual playful demeanor.

"I'm not quite sure that's how it works." The nerdy boy chuckled.

"Neither am I, but it seemed like a fun little thing to do."

"I-I'm on board with it." Izuku smiled.

Mina was so glad Izuku idolized All-Might, because seeing him smile was something she couldn't get enough of. Was she falling in love this quick? She coughed to herself to slow herself down. It wasn't even a month. Like, they were a couple now, but she didn't want to sail to close to shore and crash this ship before it even left the harbor. Mina calmed down. Sweating stuff wasn't like her. Still, she was in uncharted waters. "Why am I making all these nautical allusions? If anything, that's Tsuyu territory." She thought to herself.

Their food arrived and they dug in. The portions were surprisingly large, which worked out well, as they ended up sharing with each other. They enjoyed each other's favorite foods well enough, but they couldn't help but have some of their favorite meals. They ended up feeding it to each other after a while.

"How is it, Izu?" Mina asked, taking a break from her meal and placing her head in her hands as she looked ahead towards her floof mate.

"Pretty good. Thanks. Still prefer the Katsudon."

"Yeah, still more of a natto girl. Veggie dishes are best."

"Didn't you have a burger on our first date?" Izuku questioned.

"Yeah. That was an exception. "she laughed sheepishly.

Izuku was really enjoying his girlfriend's company. She had a way of either making him laugh or making him blush harder than he ever had. It's like she had a secondary quirk that granted her an infectious personality not even an anxious nerd like Izuku was immune to. Once their waiter arrived, Izuku paid the bill and they ventured into the night once more.

Little did they know that they were spotted by someone who recognized them. She had been walking to meet some friends after buying a soda when she saw Izuku and Mina laughing and holding hands. She dropped her drink and stood there, mouth agape and heart in her stomach now. Ochako ran to a nearby bench to be alone with her feelings for a while. She had given Mina a go ahead. Izuku had talked to her and said he wanted to tell her something, but her parents had come to get her, so she decided she would hear it eventually. She did via text message, but right now, before her eyes, it had really hit her, and it hurt.

The two found an arcade nearby, but it was about to close in an hour. That wasn't a lot of time, but it gave them something to do. Izuku and Mina headed for the DDR machine, but were cut off by a group of older teens, the oldest seeming to be about 18 or 19.

"Excuse me, we were about to use that." Mina stated with bemusement.

"First come, first serve, Pinky." The oldest teen said. She was tall, slender, and athletic in build, with a shaved head and a stripe across her nose. Flanked on either side of her were a shorter boy with purple hair tied into a ponytail and a girl with a third eye in the center of her forehead and cropped red hair.

"Tell her, Asuka." Said the boy.

"Don't be such a kiss-ass, Shin." Spat the three-eyed girl.

"Nobody asked you, Kairi." He shouted back, before both were rebuked by their assumed leader.

"Both of you can shut it. Anyway. Dem's the breaks, Pinky. Asuka grinned, patting Mina on the head condescendingly. Mina was not amused, but she tried not to let it get to her, especially when Izuku held her hand.

"Okie doke. Understandable. We'll just move on. Try not to break the machine with your wack moves, cue ball." Mina smiled back before skipping away with Izuku in tow.

"Whatever, raccoon eyed bitch." Asuka spat, equally unamused. She was not the only one as Mina hesitated for a second, but ran towards some arcade machines. Izuku kept her anchored though and looked at her.

"I'll be right back, Mina. I'm sorry." Izuku looked at his girlfriend with an apologetic smile before heading towards trouble.

"E-excuse me, Asuka, was it? I challenge you to DDR." Izuku stepped forward with his fist in front of his face, like a valiant knight about to face a bald dragon in dance-based combat.

Mina was shocked. Izuku had been getting better under her guidance, and she appreciated the gesture, but he kind of sucked at dancing, if she was being honest.

"Izuku, don't worry about it. It's not worth it dude."

"Oh? You want to step to me, mop top? What's your wager?"

"I win, you have to apologize to Mina. You win, we never come to this arcade again."

"Hmmmm. Ok, broccoli boy. You're on. I'll even set it on easy to humor you. I am a fair and just empress." She gave a wild smirk.

"Normal is fine." Izuku stated. Mina really didn't want the trouble. This wasn't worth it. Still, holy shit, her heart was beating right now.

"Alright then." Asuka purred as she selected the song and the difficulty. "Clear some room, guys. This show is getting started." Izuku steeled himself and prepared for a valiant trial by funk.

One embarrassing defeat later, Izuku had put up a valiant effort, but they were now banished from this arcade, and Mina still didn't get an apology.

"Dammit, Izu." Mina gave him a playful jab in the arm. "Now I owe you twice. I'm totally going to make it up to you.

"What for? I lost." Izuku shuffled his feet and give a look of confusion.

"Yeah. Sorry, babe, but you're not quite there yet. Still…" she hugged him tightly. "You are such a freaking sweetheart. Thanks for sticking up for me. Just remember I can do that for myself next time."

"Yeah. Sorry. I just don't like seeing people I care about treated unfairly." He said with a subdued confidence. He gave off a warm glow as e switched from looking at his feet to his girlfriend.

"I know. If anyone does the same to you, I'll have your back." Mina spoke softly and sweetly to Izuku, kissing his cheek and wrapping an arm around him.

Thanks, Mina. I…I appreciate that." Izuku smiled. He didn't have the most confidence in himself, even if he was improving in that area. He had still thought of himself as beneath Bakugou and not worth fighting for, but the fact that there were people who would do that for him just as readily as he did for them, that was something he didn't even need to wright in his notebooks. That would be too hard for him to forget.

"We should probably head back." Mina whispered into his ear.

"Yeah…. It is getting late. Let's take the train." Izuku took her hand and they walked to the station.

Upon boarding the train and taking their seats, Mina remembered something she wanted to run by Izuku.

"Oh, by the way, Izu. I know it's kind of sudden, but my family wants to meet you. You should bring your mom too, if she wants. Nothing scary. My family just wants to meet yours is all. Plus, um…as embarrassing as this is, my mom kind of sucks in the kitchen especially with this experimental phase she is going through, so maybe your mom can help her. Sorry." Mina smiled guiltily at the end.

Izuku was flustered by this. He had been worried about if they were going too fast, and now he they were introducing their parents to one another. It wasn't a big deal. He knew they would meet eventually, but still, Izuku was just a worrier about things like that, and not so much his own physical well-being, as evidenced by Recovery Girl no longer being willing to treat him with her quirk if he got reckless with his again.

"S-sure. I think my mom would like that. I'm…. a bit nervous though." Izuku smiled, before looking out the window pensively.

"About my folks? Nah. They're great. They can be a bit rowdy, but I think they'll love you. They ask about you a lot." Mina smiled, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"R-really? Izuku still felt nervous, letting his mind wander about what they could say. Mina already had a grasp of this tendency of Izuku's and held his hand.

"Relax, Izu. Nothing negative. My younger siblings tease me about you though." She stuck her tongue out.

"Oh. W-what do they say?" Izuku stuttered, having calmed down a little, but still bracing himself for the Ashido clan.

"You'll have to wait and see on that. Mite and Takure can be a bit of a handful, but if my folks end up liking you, they will too." Mina's siblings were, as Izuku would later discover, just as rambunctious, if not more, than Mina.

"Alright. Looking forward to it." Izuku grinned in that charming yet bashful manner of his that made him a target for affection by his pink-skinned partner.

"Me too." She replied as she stretched her arms out and wrapped one around Izuku.

They snuggled on the train the rest of the way until they reached their stop. Izuku walked Mina to her train and kissed her on the nose. "Text me when you get home." Izuku waved to her.

"Oh, you can count on it, Izu. See ya!"

And with that, Izuku and Mina went home. Halfway to his house, Izuku got a text. He was surprised at how quick Mina had texted him until he realized it wasn't her.

"hey deku. Um can we talk sometime? Sorry if you're busy."


	6. Friends and Family

Izuku sat on a bench, in the shade of a tree. Classes had ended for the day, but unlike usual, Mina was not with him. He had told her about the text from Uraraka and that she wanted to talk in private. Mina was a bit concerned, but understanding. She had no ill will towards the brunette, and she trusted Izuku.

Izuku heard the cacophony of sounds as he sat on the bench, waiting for his friend. He heard chirping birds, barking dogs, passing cars, and laughing children. He kept checking his phone for the time and to see if Ochako had texted him. He also wanted to check in with Mina. She was currently helping her mother clean the house for company, but they both agreed it was probably best for Ochako and Izuku to talk on their own for now.

"Is this seat taken" a voice shook Izuku out of his trance, causing him to almost drop his phone.

"O-Ochako! What's up?" Izuku nearly jumped up, smiling with a mixture of awkwardness and genuine happiness to see a friend.

"Not much, Deku." She smiled as she sat down. Both hers and Izuku's smiles faded as they tried to find the words to address the issue at hand.

"What should she say? That she was heartbroken? That she felt betrayed despite giving her blessing? That she should have thought that through a whole lot more? That she didn't want to feel this way because Izuku mattered a lot to her and she didn't want to lose his friendship over unrequited feelings? Why was this so hard?

"So…"

"So…"

"I just wanted to say I'm happy for you and Mina." Ochako plastered on a fake smile. I mean, she did support them. She wanted to. They were both her friends, though one she happened to be closer to, and she would like to keep it that way. It was probably better that she just forget it and move on.

"Yep! Well, later, Deku." She went to get up, trying to hide what she was really feeling. She was way to scared to let it all out, and what was worse, it was scratching at the door right now. Given how awkward Izuku could be, she expected him to have some concern, then get too nervous to say anything and drop it. She should have known better. She had seen him in action. She had hoped he could just drop it. "Dammit. One of the reasons I love him and it's the one thing I don't want to deal with right now." The brunette thought. "What's wrong with me right now?" she thought. She had to get home and think, maybe write in her diary or vent to her mom. Anything but this.

"Uraraka, wait!" the boy gently caught her arm and looked at her, emerald orbs shining with concern. He saw through her excuses. He saw her struggling with something, and he wanted to help.

"when you texted me, I knew there was something up. It would be awkward, and hard to talk about, most likely, but you wanted to talk and I'm here. If it was just that, it could have just been a text sent to me and Mina…. please. Tell me what this is really about."

"Please…get your hands off me…. you broke my heart, Izuku."

"But." He tried to interject.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shouted! She wanted to just run away and hide. How could she yell at Izuku like that? Ochako herself didn't know where this was coming from. Well, that was a lie. She knew where it originated, but still she was shocked at herself. She slumped into the seat next to Izuku and felt her face flush hot and tears start to well in her eyes. Izuku placed his hand on her shoulder, eyes switching from shock and confusion to a look of empathy and resolve.

"Please tell me." he whispered.

Ochako stared at the ground, her cheeks blushed as she tried to make the words come out. She sighed and did her best.

"I have to…. I…. I like you, Izuku. I really like you. When Mina asked you out…. I mean, I gave her the go ahead…. It still hurts. But I hold no ill will. Towards you or her. I just had to get this off my chest, you know?"

She took a deep breath and continued. "I don't want to lose you. I accept that we aren't a couple. You and Mina seem happy. But, we barely talk anymore and hang out, and it just feels like we're drifting apart, you know? You and Iida were my first friends here, and I worry about losing you guys. I…I get you want to spend time with Mina. You should. You guys are cute together…. I just don't want to lose my friend. And I hope all this doesn't drive you away."

"I-it won't. And you won't. We're still friends. You, me, and Iida-san. I can't tell what the future holds. But I won't leave you guys, You're still my friends. And even if things get hectic, between hero training and having a girlfriend, I won't lose sight of you guys. I promise." He offers a fist and holds out a pinky. Ochako almost snorted out laughter at what a dork this boy was. She lunges at him and embraces the One-For-All user.

"Thanks, Deku. You rock." She hugs him tight, happy that things can start working towards normalcy, or as close as possible in their intended field.

"You're welcome. I…I'm not good with this whole thing. Being hugged by girls is still new to me. Outside of my mom, I mean. But still, yeah. Mina makes me happy and I really like her. She just…I didn't expect to have feelings for someone more outgoing and excitable. I'm not exactly the most outgoing guy myself." Izuku chuckled.

"You have my support, Deku! I still want to talk to Mina, but I'm happy you're both happy."

"Thanks." Izuku gave a curt smile that slowly grew into an appreciative grin. The two friends hugged, happy to have put any awkwardness behind them, besides that which was already ingrained into them.

Well anyway, I'm going to go. It was nice talking to you, Izuku." She smiled softly, walking away, still not able to bring herself to fully smile.

"Ok." Izuku nodded. The awkwardness still lingered. However, things had been resolved, at least on their end. The two had once nursed mutual crushes, but nothing had been said between the two about it. Now, they were happy just being where they were now, as best friends. Izuku stood up and called to the departing brunette.

"Hey Ochako." She turned around, her hair whipping a little as she turned her head fast. "You, me, and Iida should hang out more. Maybe go bowling or something." He had Mina now, and obviously wanted to spend time with her, but those two were his best friends at UA. They were just as important to him and he wanted to do his best to make room for them, Mina, and his hero studies, no matter how difficult it would be to balance those.

"That would be nice. Thanks." Ochako smiled. Things had been awkward, with the gravity girl being a bit weirder lately. But Izuku was glad to have his friend back. The feeling was mutual on Ochako's end.

The next day, Izuku was shaking from how nervous he was. This was new to him. A lot of things were new to him lately. Granted, he had dreamed of being a hero for so long and had pursued that dream. He knew to expect new and unexpected situations and that he would have to adapt. He had his hero notebooks. He had Yuuei. He had All Might. He had good friends in his classes, and now recently, a girlfriend. He had faced unexpected and scary situations before, from the League of Villains encounter to Stain. However, one thing he didn't count on was the anxiety of meeting his girlfriend's parents. What's more, introducing his mother to them. Mina had texted him while he was working on English homework in his room to let him know.

"Hey, so my parents want to meet you. Wanna come over for dinner?"

Izuku froze. He was freaking out internally. "Meet her parents? So soon? Is this how this works? Should I have asked someone for advice? Maybe mom knows. Then again, she will probably end up crying and telling me how much I have grown. Oh man, what if they don't…"

His muttering was interrupted by another text shortly after.

"Calm down, Midori. You can bring your mom, they actually wouldn't mind meeting her."

"How does she know me so well already?" Izuku thought in stunned silence. He texted her back.

"Sure. I would love too. I'll bring my mom over too, so she can meet your family."

"Great! I can't wait! I miss you, Midori. 3"

"I miss you too, Mina." He was blushing to himself. They had not been together that long, but already, this girl felt like an important part of his life. Izuku chalked it up to her being his first girlfriend, but he thought there might be more to it. "3"

Izuku snapped out of his memories as his mom gently shook his shoulder to keep him from walking into a wall.

"You ok, sweetie?" his mother asked, concern in her voice. Between his mother, his girlfriend, and his best friend, he had some positive women in his life and he was grateful for that, especially given his awkwardness around girls.

"I'm fine, mom. Thanks. Sorry, I was just lost in thought." Izuku shook it off.

"Nice of Mina's parents to invite us over for dinner, huh Izuku." Inko smiled at her son as they walked towards their destination.

"Y-yeah. I'm just…" Izuku said shakily. Each stop in this relationship made him nervous. He had no idea what he was doing and he was afraid of screwing up. He genuinely liked Mina, but this was all so foreign to him. It was new to he too, but that didn't quite soothe his nerves.

"Nervous you don't get to meet her family without your mom by your side?" Inko teased, despite knowing that she was just as emotional as her son. The apple didn't drop far there.

"You're a sweet, charming boy, Izuku. I raised you to be. I'm sure, if Mina's family is anything like her, they will love you." She reassured her son. This seemed to comfort him a little, but he still looked pensive. In all honesty, his mother did provide some comfort with her presence. Also, if Mina's parents were anything like her, he was in for hijinks and teasing. He took a breath and walked up the steps.

Mina had texted Izuku the address, so Izuku and his mm took the subway train to her area and walked towards her house. It wasn't too elaborate, but it was a nice, big house, occupied by Mina, her parents, and her two siblings. It was certainly more than the Midoriyas were used to. Two youngsters answered the door, a 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. These were Mina's siblings. He did not catch their names, but he was sure he would be introduced. Mina's sister was the one to answer the door.

"Hello." she said, unenthused.

"Hi. I-it's Izuku. I was invited over with my mother." Izuku gave a small wave to the younger girl, who suddenly became more animated as a smile of recognition crept across her face at the mention of that name.

"MINA, YOUR LOVER IS HERE!" the girl shouted up the stairs for her older sister.

"I'm coming!" that familiar voice rang like a school bell as she made her way down the steps to greet her boyfriend. She came skipping down the stairs, dressed in a leather jacket, capris, a white t-shirt depicting zombies crawling from the grave, and some pink hi-tops.

"Sorry about that, Midori. My sister Mite is a pain." She smiled at the boy, but gave side-eye to her younger sibling at the end of her sentence. "Come inside!" She skipped inside as Izuku and Inko followed.

A man and a woman greeted Izuku and his mother. The woman spoke first. "You must be Izuku! And this must be your mother, Inko. Nice to meetcha!"

"Nice to meet you, son. Put her there!" The man smiled, offering his hand to the boy.

Izuku hesitated, nervous about meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time.

"C'mon. Don't be so shy, Izuku." Izuku slowly reached out and shook the man's hand. As soon as their hands made contact, the man made a fart noise with his mouth. Izuku could tell right away that this was Mina's dad. Laughter rang through the house. This would be a long dinner.

Mina didn't resemble her parents too much, except for her father's horns and eyes and her mother's curly pink hair and frame. Her Father, Michio, was a large, broad shouldered man with red hair, styled in a crewcut. Her mother, Kaoru, had bright eyes with golden irises and a bouffant of curly pink hair. She had a similar build to her daughter, which was one of the other traits she had inherited from her parents. And then, there were her siblings. Mite had short, curly blond hair and one horn, while Takure had a mess of strawberry blonde curls hiding his eyes, which resembled those of his father and older sister. Nobody else among them had pink skin but Mina. That was all her.

Mina's mother, Kaoru, was, in all honesty, a terrible cook. However, she tried, for better or worse. In this instance, however, they had just ordered take-out. It was a bit unorthodox when inviting your daughter's boyfriend and his mother over for dinner, but the Ashidos weren't the most orthodox of families by any means. They were eccentric, vibrant, and, while not the most boisterous, they were certainly a more animated family than the Midoriyas. The dinner consisted of variety of meet and noodle dishes from "Excelsior!", a takeout place a few blocks away.

"So, how did you meet our daughter? I mean, besides classes?" Michio took a plate of food and shoveled it energetically into his mouth.

"W-well. We first met in classes, but, um…." Izuku was floundering, so Mina came in with the save.

"He was at the book store one day and I went up and said hi. We started dating ever since."

"We didn't officially start dating then." Izuku insisted

"We kinda did." Mina chimed in.

"Ah, young love. Kaoru, dear, pass the Udon." Michio laughed deeply.

The conversation carried on for a couple hours, with everyone eating their fill. Kaoru and Inko hit it off well enough, though both women shared similar personality traits to their offspring, so Ink was crying tears of joy, while Kaoru calmed her down. Michio asked Izuku how he liked classes and about his quirk, joking that it's good in a way that his power hurts his arms like that.

"This way I don't have to worry about doing it myself if you touch my Mina."

"DAD!"

"I'm busting the kid. It's fine." Michio laughed as he slapped Izuku on the back, nearly sending noodles across the room. "Besides, how would he give me grandkids later?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, dad. You taught me about protection. Remember." Mina teased back, giving a glance towards her boyfriend.

Izuku could feel his soul leaving his body. Was this conversation really happening? The two teenagers hung out in Mina's room for a bit where she gave him a tour, showing off her love for the color Pink, her adoration of sci-fi and horror, and her video game collection, as well as some anime collectables she had. She of course also had pictures and memorabilia of various heroes and some Yuuei stuff. Izuku had known it a little before, but this erased any doubt that his girlfriend was as big of a nerd as he was. It almost made up for the fact that he was in a girl's room for the first time. Even if they were dating, it was a lot to take in.

"Welcome to the chamber de Mina, Midori." Mina announced enthusiastically. She was ready to tease him about being where she slept and got dressed, and bathed, as she had her own bathroom. However, that would be too predictable. If she was going to fluster her fluffy green bean, she would do it when he least expected it. Besides, she was ecstatic about showing this boy around. He was her first boyfriend and just as big a nerd about shit as she was, if not more so. "Let me give you the tour!" Her room was covered in Pink, matching her appearance in a way. However, there were several posters for video games, sci-fi and horror films and shows, Hip-hop and EDM records, and some hero posters, including one of All-Might. She had shelves filled with video games, movies, and books, including several graphic novels and manga. Her comic collection paled in comparison to Izuku's, but one thing caught his eye that kept him from fainting, given his presence in a girl's room for the first time.

"Is that?" his eyes widened with enthusiasm. Mina grinned and struck a pose, happy that Izuku was impressed.

"Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. One of my faves. I also have some Green Lantern and some of the Doctor Who comics." Mina beamed with pride. She was excited to talk to people in general, but especially if they had stuff to bond over. Izuku was happy to do the same, despite being far less of a social butterfly and more of a nervous moth.

"You like sci-fi a lot, huh?" Izuku chuckled. It was certainly hard not to get that impression.

"Can you tell? I mean, I do look like an alien." She stuck out her tongue and winked, striking a silly pose.

"A pretty one." Izuku said to himself. However, he had accidentally said that aloud, causing him to die of embarrassment while Mina blushed and averted her eyes. She quickly recovered and changed the subject.

"I-I'm sorry if I was, um" Mina cut him off. Not because she was annoyed. No. She was amused, however, she figured she would throw him a bone to distract him from turning into a miniature sun, fueled by embarrassment and shyness.

"So how did it go with Ochako?" Mina asked, sitting on her bed, grabbing one of her assorted sci-fi plushies.

"It went well, I think. She just wanted to set the record straight and let out some feelings she had. We agreed to stay friends. I told her that we should do something, me her and Iida, like how it started out."

"That's a good idea. Obviously, I want you to myself as often as possible." She gave a sly smile. "But we're allowed to have friendships outside of each other. So yeah, I'm glad it worked out."

"Thanks. I'm glad too." Izuku knew her to be pretty easy going but Mina being cool with it still came as a relief." She wants to talk to you too, to clear the air."

"Oh. Cool." Mina stated as she brought the plushie down and placed it next to others. She felt some guilt for asking Ochako if it was ok to date Izuku and going for it anyway, but she did give her blessing. Still emotions could be complicated, and she did genuinely like the girl, "Should I text her?"

Izuku shook his head. "She'll text you most likely. Give it time."

"Yep. So, no that you're here." Mina got a look of mischief on her face as she grabbed Izuku's hands and dragged him to her computer desk. "Have you ever played Doom?"

"N-not really." Izuku admitted. He wasn't as avid a gamer as Mina, so this didn't shock her too much. Still she was excited to introduce her boyfriend to the game.

"Then prepare yourself, dear Midori. It's going to be epic!" Mina professed gleefully

After a few turns playing Doom (where Mina helped Izuku learn the ins and outs of the game), it was time to say goodbye for the night.

"Thanks for coming over. My parents seemed to like you." Mina kissed Izuku on the cheek

"T-thanks for having us." Izuku blushed and kissed her back. The Midoriyas soon departed as Mina waved goodbye.

Mina's parents were a bit perplexed by how their outgoing and spunky daughter brought home such a timid and awkward boy, but they approved of him nonetheless. As was the way of the Ashido, she was lovingly teased over her boyfriend. This time, it was her turn to blush. She gazed off into the distance and smiled. She knew her parents would like him, but she was still glad anyway. She hadn't been dating this boy for that long, but she could feel it. She was already in love. It was a weird feeling, one she had often imagined, and even then, it was different than that. Still, she embraced weird and she embraced this.

Izuku divebombed his bed, making a dash for his pillow so that he could rest his head and relax a bit. He had some homework to get to still, but it wasn't anything he couldn't manage. He wasn't at the top of the class, but he was still high up there, with the best of them, so he was doing fine. He and Mina texted for a while, before they decided to go to bed.

"How was dinner? I know you're probably used to homecooked meals, but my family isn't skilled in the culinary arts."

"It's fine. My mom and I had fun. That place you ordered from was good. You'll have to bring me a menu. 😊"

"Yay! Glad to hear it. And will do. Again, don't mind my family. They're rambunctious."

"Yeah. A little. Ha-ha."

"Don't underestimate the power of the Ashido clan, Midori. We are very good at teasing each other."

"I noticed."

Izuku paused. He didn't know why he was so nervous, but regardless, after a bout of hesitation and clenching his eyes closed, the awkward hero in training pressed send.

"Hey, um, Mina?"

"Yeah Midori?"

"My mom would like to have you over for dinner next weekend. She thinks you're great."

"Hell yeah! I would love to!"

"Great! I'll let her know!"

"Awesome! Thanks Izu 3"

"You're welcome! 3"

After a few hours of talking back and forth, the two fell asleep, the promise of a new day just around the corner.


	7. Playlists and Preludes

Izuku had been dating Mina for a while now. Ever since that first time they ran into each other after the sports festival, when he was out buying books, his life had changed. It was bizarre and hard to comprehend, and yet here he was. He was at UA, he was training to be a hero, he was being trained by All Might himself, and he had friends. Actual, good, loyal friends who would stand by him and support him. What's more, he had a girlfriend now. He was having a hard time believing it. And yet, he had met her parents, introduced them to his. He had her over his house for dinner. It was all too good to be true.

Of course, things weren't all sunshine and roses. There was the encounter with Tomura at the mall, the villain attack on the sports lodge. Bakugou had been kidnapped and Izuku had gone with four classmates of his to rescue him. Mina was not among them. That had been a hard decision. They had fought. Of course, they had. They didn't want to. It was silly to do so. They had just started out and they were worried about fighting, but when your new boyfriend goes off with some classmates to take matters into their own hands and rescue a classmate from the league of villains instead of just leaving it to the pros, you are entitled to freak out a little.

She could understand it. She knew where they were coming from. She knew of the plan. She certainly didn't stop it, but she had learned so much. She had learned of Bakugou and Izuku's history. She had learned just how unsavory he had really been, how awfully he had treated Izuku in the past. It had really lessened her opinion of the guy. And yet Izuku and Kirishima were willing to go out of their way and put themselves in danger for him. What's more Todoroki, Yaomomo, and Iida had gone with them as well, with Momo making the tracking device they used and serving as a guiding hand alongside their class president.

Mina couldn't comprehend how the smartest kids in class could be so stupid and reckless. And yet, she could. They were heroic and willing to risk their lives for others, even if those people were jerks. They would not leave a classmate behind, or a friend for that matter. Mina could appreciate that. She had risked her own skin against a supervillain before, in middle school. She was more overwhelmed at USJ, which she still regretted. She understood, but she didn't like it.

Their relationship progressed as normal as it could, but things just felt strange, like they were different now. All Might's true form had been revealed, he World's symbol of peace had retired, announcing to Izuku that he was next, and UA had made the transition to a boarding school. Students had moved into newly built dormitory buildings, which, thanks to the abilities of various UA staff members and contractors, were completed at breakneck speed. In a time before quirks, this would have been both miraculous and worrisome. Even now, faith in UA and in hero society was waning, but there were no fears about the stability of the buildings. Instead, the new residents were wowed by the mansion they now called home.

X

Izuku knocked on the door. He was nervous, as always. He still wasn't great at talking to girls, especially ones he didn't talk to tat often. However, he was getting better in no small part to his friendships with Tsuyu and Ochako and his relationship with Mina.

"Midoriya? What's up?"

"H-hey Jirou…Um…. sorry if I interrupted something." He stammered.

"You implying something, Midoriya?"

"Wha-I…I wasn't…"

The purple-haired girl chuckled. She was amused by how tightly wound he was, though curious as to his reasoning for visiting. They weren't on bad terms, but they didn't really talk all that much. "Jeez, dude. You are too easy. So, what brings you here?"

"Oh…right…um…I need help… assembling a playlist… Not that you're not cool and that I wouldn't like to be friends. I'm not trying to use you. I swear."

"Chill, man." She laughed. "It's for Ashido, right?"

"Yeah…things have been a bit weird... and I can't blame her for being upset…I just want to show her that I apologize, but that I understand why she is mad. I want to make it up to her… show her I care… Kind of silly, I know. I know it's not your business and story for making it your"

Suddenly two jacks shot out and poked the green-haired boy, hard enough to snap him out of his rambling but soft enough into to really hurt him. "Focus, dude." Izuku let out a shocked quack as the jacks made contact, flinching at the contact.

"Right, sorry." He coughed, still reeling from the surprise. "I want to make a playlist for her, and you are the best musician in our class. You know all about songs and stuff like that. More than I do. And you're her friend…I was hoping you could help me make one for her."

Jirou glared stonily at the awkward boy in front of her before smiling softly. "Can't be friends with me without needing something, huh?"

"I…" He was struck with both guilt at her words (teasing or not), and joy. On one hand, he really didn't want to use people in such a way. On the other hand, she had acknowledged him as a friend, a potential one at least.

"Dude, it's fine. I'm messing. I know. Have a seat, we can talk this out while I pull out my laptop."

Izuku took a seat. He was intimidated by this girl. And now, as he sat on her bed, he had to ask why. Even still, girls made him flustered in general. Coupled with that, she was more sarcastic and aloof. However, they were all UA students. They all had their reasons for being here, not just in terms of motivations, but who they were as people. Even Bakugou and Mineta had such traits. However, despite her sassiness and the fact that they barely interacted, he could tell she was a good person, even through her shell. They have both been up against villains. They had been targets and had fought back. There was some underlying kinship there and he hoped that after this, he could strike up more of a friendship with her. For now, however, he had a reason. He wanted help in showing his girlfriend how he felt. Even if he was often awkward and flustered, even if he couldn't always say the right words, he wanted to bare his heart to her. They hadn't been together very long, but already, she was important to him.

"So, you want to make a playlist for your girlfriend and pour your heart out into music, huh? Not a bad idea." The purple-haired rocker deadpanned. Izuku could have swore he had heard her mumble something about being jealous but decided against pursuing that line of questioning. If she wanted to bring it up, she would. He couldn't bring himself to pry into someone else's personal life without being invited to, even if they were friends. Heroes often stuck their nose where it didn't belong. That is what he had learned and abided by. This, however was a personal issue and not a heroic one.

"Any songs in mind? Any specific ideas? There are a lot of love songs and songs about apologies, dude. You'll have to narrow it down." She grinned, her colder demeaner thawing rather more easily than Izuku expected. He supposed he was being unfair in his assessment.

Izuku nodded. "I know some of her favorites. I could easily include them, using breakdancing music probably won't be romantic though."

"Yeah. Good call, dude. As weird as Ashido can be, I doubt the Alien theme would sweep her off her feet" Jirou paused and thought to herself, unsure of exactly how accurate that statement was. It was Mina she was talking about after all. "By the way, how are you planning on giving this to her? Mixtape? CD? Standing outside her window with a boombox?" The teenage rocker was only joking, but upon realization, she looked at Izuku, and he looked back. With that, a plan was formed.

She shook her head and grinned. "You can borrow my speakers."

X

Mina sat in her bed, groaning o herself about life. She was an easygoing girl, but even she had things hat stressed her out. Studies stressed her out. Being up against a threat she couldn't handle stressed her out. Mineta's lechery stressed her out. And now, the tension between her and Izuku was stressing her out. She didn't want it to. They had reconciled. Mostly, anyway. However, things still felt off. They weren't the same, and that worried her.

Mina heard music from outside her window. It was somewhat faint, but probably because of the glass and the curtains. Still, she was curious enough to investigate. What she expected was just one of her classmates listening to music. She was guessing Kaminari. However, it sounded stationary. Like whoever was playing it was standing in one spot.

Upon stepping out onto her balcony to investigate, she was faced with a surprising site, though certainly a welcome one.

There was Izuku, holding up his phone, hooked up to a pair of speakers, playing music for the pink girl. It was like something out of a retro-romance movie, specifically the 1980s. Her boyfriend had apparently set up a playlist on his phone, borrowed some of Jirou's speakers, and was blasting music for his girlfriend in an effort to reconcile any differences they still had. It was a silly gesture and couldn't have been within the boy's comfort zone, and yet here he was. She chuckled and sighed as lilac crept across her cheeks and her heart beat wildly.

"Did…Are you pulling a Say Anything because of the rescuing Bakugou thing?"

"S-say what?" Her boyfriend was clearly confused, which made it even funnier that he was copying a movie he was apparently not even aware of.

"Forget about it." She shook her head. "Jump up here, Izu."

"I…Is it even legal for me to"

"You're on school grounds and you're doing something dorky and romantic. Just get up ere so I can smooch you!"

He bushed and stuttered, but composed himself enough to follow her orders, landing on her balcony with an amazing jump. The pink girl threw her arms around her boyfriend and planted a big kiss on his lips, holding him close as he tried not to drop his phone.

"Come inside. We can talk more in my room." The two entered her dorm and sat on her bed.

Izuku placed his phone besides him and gestured to turn it off, but Mina placed her hand on his shoulder, looking at him softly.

"Keep it playing. I want to hear it all." Mina smiled. Izuku could feel his heart flutter as the pink girl's glistening black eyes gazed into his. He nodded and placed the phone and speakers on a nearby table.

Mina rested her head in his lap and hummed as the next song played. He blushed and shivered slightly but adjusted to it after a few moments and stroked her curly pink hair, leaning back against the wall as the music played. Izuku wished he could build a house on this moment and live there with Mina, but soon realized he was getting too far ahead of himself. Instead, he relaxed and smiled, letting the music and the scent of his girlfriend's shampoo take him away to parts unknown.

"I like this one. How did you know?"

"Y-you brought it up once."

"Did I? Oh yeah. Sorry. Forgot. Things have been a but hectic." Mina sighed closing her eyes as she made herself comfortable in the boy's lap. She

"Yeah, they have."

"Midori?" her eyes opened slowly as she thought over everything. They had just moved in recently. Her and Izuku had mostly been peaceful but there was still tension and unrest. Their relationship was as young and fragile as they were, if not more so. She couldn't tell what the future held, and she was normally just fine with that. Izuku changed that.

"Yeah, Mina?" the one-for-all user perked his head up ever so slightly in response.

"I don't want to be mad at you." Her tone was soft yet solemn, like a gentle violin on a summer night. She hadn't been mad at him not since a day or two after he had returned. She was really just happy he was safe and sound. But she was worried for his safety, sad that he would care so little for his own safety that he would do such things, hurt that he couldn't even spare a thought for how she felt during all this, and frustrated by her inability to do anything to stop him.

"I know"

"I just…you could have died…and I know why you did it. And Things seemed ok, but hey have been weird and awkward." Mina found herself rambling. It was more of an Izuku thing then anything she would normally do, but the boy left an impact on her and she couldn't stop herself from blabbing. It was up to her silly green nerd to help her.

"With a peck on the lips, Izuku silenced Mina, who had started to shed light tears. This was a different Izuku, one she had seen but had admittedly taken for granted. She knew him as the awkward, rambling blushing boy and the reckless, noble hero who would throw himself into danger because he thought it was right. But here she was seeing an aspect she loved the most. He was gentle, caring, kind, and more beautiful then she ever expected such a lain looking boy to be.

"Ssssh. I like this song too." He smiled. "You're fine, Mina."

Her heart raced, and her breath hitched as she gazed at him, eyes sparkling with love. Normally, Mina would have called him a sappy dork or said something along the lines of "Not as fine as you." However, in this moment, no words were uttered. Instead, she fell asleep in his lap.

She finally uttered three words groggily and contently. "I love you."

Izuku could feel his heart squeeze in his chest as it pumped vigorously, his cheeks flushed wit h red. He smiled warmly. He knew he still had a long way to go, as a student, as a hero, and as a boyfriend, but he knew she would be there every step of the way.

"I love you too." And with that, he fell asleep as well, not sure what the future held, but ready to tackle it with Mina by his side.

X

Mina and Izuku looked around the apartment. It was small but had an extra bedroom. It could come in handy someday. For now, it was extra space. It was hard to believe how far they had come. They had graduated UA. They were licensed pros now. They were part of a hero team. They had faced villains and revelations and that one time Mina fired her boyfriend from the dance team during the Culture Festival for reasons that now just seemed silly. Either way, they now had a life together. They were team mates. They were a couple. They were heroes. What's more, they were happy. The countless hours of work they had put into this apartment had been worth it. It was close to their agency, within close enough proximity to their fellow teammates in the Color Guard, and it had a lovely convenience store nearby that they could get groceries at.

They still had a long way to go, but they had come so far together already, and they would go beyond that, without a doubt.

"Izuku, come jump on the bed with me! It's super comfy!" a voice rang out from the master bedroom, as exuberant as it was when they first met. The green-haired pro sighed and smiled.

"I'll be right there." Izuku took off his hero costume and ran head first into the bedroom after Mina, towards the rest of their lives.


End file.
